Nestled in the preserved landscape of Pordenone, Italy, an extraordinary architectural transformation has taken place where a 19th-century presbytery has been reimagined as a striking contemporary villa that dialogues with existing architectural constructions while elevating above the forest canopy. The project, designed by Locus Architetti and led by architects Roberto Pasquali and Riccardo Tosoni, represents a unique fusion of historical preservation and bold modernist vision.
The villa emerges as a sculptural work that integrates harmoniously into the surrounding landscape while maintaining a strong brutalist character. Located in the heart of greenery outside the city, within a wooded setting dating from the 19th century, the structure feels like a hidden vacation retreat in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region, an area rich in historical realities from other times and dotted with small villages waiting to be discovered.
The architectural intervention goes far beyond simple renovation, creating what the designers describe as a "temporal superposition" that further stratifies the house's history without erasing its origins. The villa presents itself as a layering of different periods, thoughts, and traditions, culminating in a contemporary volume that engages with both forest and modernity. The structure originally served as a 19th-century presbytery that underwent various transformations over time, with a significant expansion after World War II marking an important stage in its evolution.
The new construction volume presents itself as an aluminum skin suspended above an exposed concrete base, creating a landmark that inscribes itself in the continuity of context while renewing it. The massive concrete base, reminiscent of celebrated works by Le Corbusier or Celli Tognon in Trieste, serves as both foundation and artistic statement. Above this imposing foundation rises a wooden structure protected by an extruded aluminum skin, creating a dialogue between the ancient and the new that the architects describe as "a synthesis element between old and new."
Perhaps the most striking feature of this brutalist architecture is a perfect circular skylight that serves as both functional element and artistic homage. This unusual element – whether interpreted as an eye, porthole, or celestial globe – creates a breach between earth and sky, allowing light to filter inside the concrete slab and dematerialize it. The feature pays tribute to the artistic works of James Turrell, whose creations exist at the intersection of architecture and site-specific sculpture, transmitting positive emotions through light manipulation.
The project oscillates between typically European references and overseas influences, evoking images of Oscar Niemeyer's Casa das Canoas or Lina Bo Bardi's suspended villa. If one didn't know the location of this villa, it could almost be imagined in the heart of the Amazon forest or a Brazilian locality. This international sensibility reflects the architects' vision of creating "new dialogue between past and present, between architecture and landscape, between tradition and innovation."
Inside the villa, the interior furnishing inserts itself delicately under the architectural framework, in synergy with existing spaces. Everything revolves around central fixed furniture in brick color, which serves to amalgamate the rooms by defining and harmoniously uniting the living room space. This isn't just a functional element but a true visual pivot that organizes the surrounding space, making the flow between rooms fluid and continuous.
The chromatic palette of the interiors draws inspiration from the warm, velvety tones of the exteriors, with cream and brick red colors (in powdered nuances) punctuating the walls. The living room furniture, mostly in collaboration with the Pordenone-based brand Kristalia, is flexible and modular, integrating spontaneously into the space. The living room resembles an art gallery, austere in its colors but rich in meaning and objects, featuring the Brioni-Up sofa by Kristalia accompanied by sculptural Fun-Go coffee tables.
The kitchen articulates around a central island – an imposing, monumental square block. In gray tones, it contrasts with neutral walls and the terracotta of the dining room. Two pendant lamps with iron shades hang above the dining table, while large bay windows provide views of the garden like artwork at human height. The dining corner, halfway between interior and exterior, creates a warm and welcoming space where wooden table warmth combines with sophisticated black details.
The night space is suspended above the forest on the first floor, lighter in construction with wood and aluminum materials. This level opens boldly onto the landscape in what the architects describe as "an affirmed act, an addition operation that mixes the language of architecture with that of nature." Large bay windows overlooking the park flood the spaces with light, transforming them into colored paintings with ever-changing nuances.
The master bedroom presents itself as a black and white space illuminated by nature penetrating beautifully through windows. The bathroom becomes a green box that blends into the trees behind the window, with custom-made wooden furniture transporting the spirit into a relaxing natural dimension. Even from the bedrooms, the view remains spectacular, with large bay windows accentuating the sensation of freedom.
The project pays particular attention to contemporary artistic production, perfectly adapted to this singular architecture through works by artists Matete Martini and Ludovico Bomben. Their pieces integrate seamlessly into the architectural narrative, reinforcing the dialogue between different temporal layers that characterizes this remarkable transformation.
This villa in Pordenone stands as a testament to how architectural intervention can create new relationships between built environment and natural landscape, demonstrating that contemporary design can honor historical context while pushing boldly toward future possibilities. The result is a home that feels suspended between earth and sky, past and future, tradition and innovation.
