Nestled in the pre-Alpine hilly landscape of Anzano del Parco, ”Twisted House” is the result of a radical intervention on the envelope and internal layout of a 1960s modernist villa, designed by LAST – Stefano Larotonda Architect. The original architecture, characterized by pure volumes and rational geometries, is reinterpreted in light of new functional requirements, leading to the subdivision of the building into multiple housing units and a profound energy upgrade.
The project goes beyond mere technical regeneration; it initiates a broader reflection on the identity of the built environment and its relationship with the landscape. The intervention redefines the facade design and the relationships between solids and voids, highlighting the rotation of the volumes as a distinctive architectural gesture. This creates a dynamic tension expressed through a carefully balanced compositional approach, accentuated by the calibrated use of materials and a simplified color palette limited to two shades: green, which interacts with the surrounding vegetation and envelops the rotated surfaces; and gray, inspired by Moltrasio stone, used to define the base and volumetric recesses.
The work on the interiors manifests in an essential yet sophisticated language that echoes the original atmosphere of the modernist villa. The living areas are organized around central pillars, freed thanks to custom-made full-height doors that introduce a new fluidity of circulation. The two levels of the residence are ideally arranged around these structural elements, creating a continuous spatial narrative where natural light and the tactile quality of materials become fundamental tools in the design.
The transformation culminates on the panoramic terrace overlooking the pre-Alpine lakes. Here, a site-specific artwork—visible only to the house’s inhabitants—cements the dialogue between architecture and landscape, between the built space and perceptual dimension. This silent, poetic detail completes the intervention, reaffirming the intention to restore meaning to contemporary living through attentive listening to the context and the memory of the place.
Stefano Larotonda, founder of LAST, graduated from the Mendrisio Academy of Architecture under Peter Zumthor. Following international experiences and notable awards such as the San Luca Young Architects Prize and a special mention at the BigMat International Architecture Award 2023, he runs his studio between Italy and Switzerland, combining design activity with teaching and research on the territory.
For more information: www.stefanolarotonda.it
CREDITS
Project: *Twisted House*
Architect: LAST – Stefano Larotonda Architect
Location: Anzano del Parco (CO), Italy
Year: 2023
Photography: Simone Bossi, Nicole Gaia
