Stone, wood, rigorousforms and a terse language define the features of a new villa on Lake Orta, in the province of Novara. The work of Camillo Botticini with Mauro Sillani
The new villa designed by Camillo Botticini with Mauro Sillani stands on the western shore of Lake Orta. We are in the vicinity of Pella, a small town of around a thousandinhabitants in the province of Novaraknown and appreciated for itsscenic and naturalistic setting: itfacesonto the waters of the lake with a view of the island of San Giulio, with the hills rising steeplyatits back.
Intothis context hasbeeninserted a villa with apparently severe features and a bold and linear profile,designed in detail. Botticini explains: “The house looks like a block of stonethathas come to a haltaftersliding down from the mountain above. In itsfall the mass hasopened up to the lake, allowing the cavities inside to face onto the limpidwaters of Lake Orta, almosttouching the beautiful island of San Giulio.” Thesecavities, or “wounds”, become the voices thatsoften the rigorous image of the construction: they “heal” to formgenerous openings onto the scenery of the lake, able to catalyse the natural light inside whatwasinitially just a stone box. Thus the villa is the fruit of a metamorphosisthatseesstone turn intoarchitecture, so thatwhatwas an element of nature remainssuchbutisstillable to house human beings and theirdomesticactivities