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METAPHYSICAL REMIX: Restoration of a Turin Apartment

Andrea Marcante and Adelaide Testa, of UdA Architects, were hired to restructure a 250 square meter (2691 square feet) rented apartment in the center of Turin, Italy, to work for a family with three generations living there – a father, his daughters, and grandfather. They needed their own private areas while also desiring shared spaces for everyday life.

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Over time, all of the original 1935-1937 details had been lost so the architects looked to that period for inspiration. They chose to reproduce certain details in different proportions and materials, like in the plaster truss at the entryway which references the coffered portico in Via Rome.

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The distorted perspective in the dining room ceiling was created using stucco and wallpaper as a tribute to De Chirico’s “dreamy, oneiric language”.

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Their goal was to create unusual and unexpected perspectives throughout the apartment. Pastel and fluorescent colors were incorporated, along with modern furniture from Prouvé, Sarfatti, Mendini, and Tom Dixon, work alongside the unique details installed.

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A geometric system of metal bars spread throughout the various rooms, providing storage and design details, while altering how the spaces are viewed.

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The metal bars continue into the bedrooms creating architectural elements.

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Photos by Carola Ripamonti.

Caroline Williamson is Editor-in-Chief of Design Milk. She has a BFA in photography from SCAD and can usually be found searching for vintage wares, doing New York Times crossword puzzles in pen, or reworking playlists on Spotify.