Nestled among centuries-old olive trees at the foot of Monte Amiata, HV Pavillon is more than a house: it is a contemplative architecture, a silent stage overlooking nature, designed by GGA gardini gibertini architects, the studio led by Alice Gardini and Nicola Gibertini. This project reimagines the relationship between dwelling and landscape through a profound and conscious vision rooted in Mediterranean traditions, blending the archaic with the contemporary, matter with emptiness, domesticity with theatricality.
The design is located in the municipality of Castel del Piano (GR), immersed in an olive grove where the intervention integrates seamlessly with the territory, avoiding any superficial mimicry. The architecture rises from a reinforced concrete platform, resembling a suspended stage, surrounded by the quiet of the countryside. The central patio, called the “Atrium Tusculanum,” is the heart of the space: a homage to Roman-Italian tradition, around which the interior spaces are organized in a pavilion-like arrangement.
Eight structural volumes support a broad stone roof, creating a closed yet porous system that filters light and shadow with measured rhythm. Materiality is central: the interior features rough surfaces and pure forms in a continuous dialogue. The floors are in natural-toned cement resin, the walls remain bare, while custom-made solid wood furnishings reflect artisanal craftsmanship evident in every detail. The kitchen in steel, essential and monolithic, along with the poured-in-place concrete table, celebrate conviviality and the essence of Italian domestic culture, approaching a ritual-like dimension.
The interiors open seamlessly to the outdoors: no barriers, only light linen curtains filtering the sun and wind. The domestic space dissolves into the landscape, creating a visual and perceptual continuity that renders the house almost intangible. The entire structure acts as a perceptual device, a threshold between human and natural, inviting a slow, contemplative way of living.
While the interior emphasizes subtraction and measure, the exterior draws from rural construction traditions of the region: the strict geometries evoke the “seccatoi” (drying chambers) of Amiata, and the clean, solid lines resemble dry stone walls, reinterpreted in a contemporary key. The result is an architectural work suspended between archetype and minimalism, capable of anchoring itself in the local history with authenticity and rigor.
GGA gardini gibertini architects is a studio founded by Alice Gardini and Nicola Gibertini, based in Rimini. Active across various scales—from public spaces to residences—the studio is distinguished by a cultivated and multidisciplinary approach. Both architects, with solid academic backgrounds and extensive teaching activities, combine experimental design, material awareness, and territorial anchoring to produce a measured, essential architecture deeply rooted in the history of its place.
For more info: www.gardini-gibertini.it
CREDITS
Project: HV Pavillon
Architects: GGA gardini gibertini architects
Location: Castel del Piano (GR), Italy
Year: 2020
Photography: Ezio Manciucca
