Italian architect David Perri has renovated this 18th century building, the Porto Salvo project. The contemporary property can be found in Messina, Sicily, Italy.
Perri decided to keep many of the 18th century building’s original features including the beautiful marble staircase and exposed wooden beams. The contemporary Italian property has been given a massive transformation.
According to the architect: “The building is one of the few examples of architecture that survived the 1908 earthquake in Messina, Sicily. The new project preserves all the existing elements from the past. The marble stairs, handmade concrete floor tiles, roof with its wood trusses, structural braces that after the earthquake served to keep the building safe.
“A long staircase leads from the ground floor to the upper level. The main element of the interior space is certainly the tall roof with its wood trusses that flood the entire space with light through the four new skylights. The restoration of the roof was an opportunity to build new lofts thanks to the considerable height obtained. The main space has double height and contains several elements. The entrance with its long staircase, the living area and TV, the dining area with its generous table, the linear kitchen partially hidden, the gallery studio overlooking the double height that can also be used as a guest room.
“The main bedroom has two different levels and once again an exciting double height. The ground floor is conceived as a small SPA with a large walk-in closet and the water area open to the room. The upper part hosts the sleeping area overlooking the lower floor. Another large bedroom is on a loft above the kitchen.
“From the living area and the kitchen you can access to a large terrace of 60 sqm. Natural materials and soft colors have a perfect dialog with the building. White walls, plywood furniture, hand planed parquet floors, white metal stairs and gray resin surfaces for bathrooms and kitchen create a relaxing atmosphere within the 180 square meters of the house.”
Images courtes of Peppe D’urso.
