Location: Seis am Schlern/Siusi allo Sciliar, Italy.

Architect: noa* network of architecture.

A new house in the historic village centre of Seis/Siusi, Italy has been designed by a studio to incorporate a modern and complex construction into a traditional and typical facade. The house is a renaissance of the historic ‘Messner Haus’ and is based on the traditional building typology of the area, with a stone plinth for the lower levels and a wood frame construction for the upper floors. The pitched roof and balconies were incorporated into the new design to maintain the historic appearance of the village. The lower part of the house is made of a massive construction with plastering, while the upper part is a three-storey high timber structure with window openings positioned selectively on five parts of the building. The interior design is shaped by the architectural supporting structure, with different cubes and terraces tied in the framework. Private rooms such as bedrooms, bathrooms and sauna are located in secluded and plastered cubes that hang in the framework. The various fabric surfaces provide an intriguing visual experience, with light flowing through the arrangement of structures and between the cubes. The aim of the design was to respect the genius loci while interpreting space in a contemporary way, with a constant dialogue between the inhabitants, public and private spaces.

Photo credit: Alex Filz.