In the historic center of Ravenna, nestled between two adjacent buildings, lies Mirella’s House, a renovation carefully carried out by the studio GMA – Giovanni Mecozzi Architects. The intervention originates from a typical Gothic layout characteristic of the medieval urban fabric, featuring a long and narrow plot that imposed compositional constraints transformed into architectural potentials. Here, the tension between respecting the original typological identity and the freedom of contemporary insertion creates a silent and refined architecture that conceals itself outwardly and surprises internally.
The house, enclosed by solid masonry partitions, underwent an extensive renovation, but the project chose to preserve the building’s volumetric recognizability, maintaining its rhythm and image in urban dialogue. It’s not a erasure of the past, but a respectful rewriting, where the existing structure serves as a canvas and memory, with transformation occurring internally through discreet yet decisive gestures.
The real revolution happens inside. Along the longitudinal axis of the plot, the project leverages verticality as a spatial device: the staircase, the central void, the sequence of zenithal lights and views become central elements in redefining living. In a context of lateral compression, every choice aims to free the view and multiply the degrees of openness toward natural light. The spaces rise, open up, and chase each other through unexpected glimpses, creating a fluid narrative between interior and courtyard.
The core of the project is its relationship with the small internal garden, which functions as an outdoor room around which the entire layout revolves. Here, two suspended terraces emerge as places of breath and contemplation, offering new perspectives on the house and the sky. The connection between inside and outside is never forced but made natural through warm, tactile materials—such as oak for the floors—and the choice of skylights that bring zenithal light into the heart of the home, creating a continuous play between vertical and horizontal.
“Mirella,” the name chosen by the clients and kept as the project title, thus becomes a house-in-chronicle, holding onto the sense of place while projecting it into the present. The design stands out for its balance between density and lightness, where each new element fits seamlessly without shouting, respecting the proportions of the context while introducing a minimal language composed of pure volumes, transparency, and silent solids.
Details are essential and precise, never decorative: contemporary insertions are conceived as tools for new functionality rather than ruptures. The verticality, elegantly emphasized, serves as a spatial and poetic device that directs the gaze upward, seeking light as an architectural substance. The result is a sober and intimate residence, tailored to its inhabitants and capable of engaging in a profound dialogue with the city that welcomes it.
Giovanni Mecozzi Architects – GMA is a studio based in Ravenna and Loretello, founded by Giovanni Mecozzi, an architect with extensive experience in retail and residential projects. Each project begins with a dialogue between the context, the client, and the vocation of the place, in a continuous process of transformation and listening. The portfolio ranges from international boutiques to private homes, with a constant focus on detail, materiality, and light.
For more info: www.giovannimecozzi.com
CREDITS
Project: Mirella’s House
Architect: GMA – Giovanni Mecozzi Architects
Location: Ravenna, Italy
Year: 2021
Photography: Simone Bossi
