Nestled in the picturesque hilly landscape of the Tuscan countryside, Castelfalfi is a five-star oasis of hospitality, renowned for its extensive 1100-hectare estate, renowned golf course and abundant agricultural production. Its historic charm, combined with its warm welcome and international vocation, makes Castelfalfi a popular destination for travellers from all over the world.
In this context, the architecture firm DEFERRARI+MODESTI, led by Javier Deferrari and Lavinia Modesti, was commissioned to rethink the premises dedicated to their employees, to bring them into line with the quality of the interiors of the guest facilities, in the desire to welcome their workers in a renewed and carefully thought-out context. The shared intention was to create an environment with an informal and welcoming atmosphere, with spaces designed to encourage meeting, sharing and relationships.
In order to meet the objective of creating an environment that could not only accommodate people during meals but also be a place for meeting and socialising, we sought to totally rethink the canteen’s interior and exterior spaces.
Internally, by creating differentiated areas that encourage relationships: some with collective tables, others with sofas, others with tables that can be combined in various combinations according to the occasion, and finally the snack/coffee area for coffee breaks or for moments of reunion during breaks during the day.
Externally, the outdoor area has also been renovated, acquiring greater prominence. The external staircase leading to the canteen, which was oversized for the connecting function, is itself transformed into a meeting, gathering and break area by the construction of wooden benches. In the paved area in front of the canteen, various rest areas have been designed, inserting various types of seating.
The new hall is fitted out with various types of furniture, both fixed, such as the two design benches placed at the sides of the space, and mobile, such as the tables and seats, high and low, placed in the centre. This solution allows for different combinations of furniture, depending on the activities of the day or to support organised events, such as presentations or company lunches.
To the side of the room, a large circular table with a large suspension offers support for the coffee and snack area, also equipped with vending machines. The area is located between the hall and the entrance, making it easily accessible from the outside, even for temporary visitors, or for staff meeting during breaks and free time.
The interior is also articulated through the use of different tones and textures. Each of these draws reference from the context in which the intervention is realised. It is a landscape characterised by warm tones and traditional Tuscan craftsmanship materials such as terracotta.
The plastered surfaces and ceramic coverings work according to a chromatic scale of warm colours. The project uses different types and sizes of ceramics to accentuate the volumes in the space and make them scenic backdrops to the activities taking place here. At the entrance, the public is welcomed by surfaces in various colour combinations; in the central hall, rectangular format ceramics cover the new partitions, highlighting their verticality.
All the spaces in the canteen have been covered on the floor with porcelain stoneware tiles, in large format, in terracotta colour. The covering was selected both for its aesthetic qualities and for its non-slip characteristics, which ensure that all the activities in the space run smoothly.
The intervention also refers to traditional materials and forms through the installation of a partition made of hollow terracotta elements, placed along the central wooden furniture. It is a filter-wall, which acts as a partition between the main room and the self-service area, allowing natural light to filter through.
CREDITS
Project: Castelfalfi
Studio: DEFERRARI+MODESTI
Location: Montaione, Firenze
Year: 2023
Photographs:Anna Positano e Gaia Cambiaggi
