The mountain scenery of the Dolomites rises ruggedly and barrenly in the lovely, Mediterranean landscape of South Tyrol. Amid picturesque wine villages with magnificent estates and traditional buildings, the hipped roof of Villa Baronessina rises characterfully. The contemporary building is reminiscent of a Japanese teahouse on the one hand and of sacred buildings typical of the country on the other. Harmoniously integrated into the estate, the main house sits enthroned above it, connecting the two independent villas via a patio.
An ingenious pathway creates space for surprising discoveries and creative connections between the two houses of this extravagant holiday domicile. The Mendel, Kaltern’s local mountain, provides the oxide red of the steep rock faces for the plaster. This natural colour is a specific feature of the architecture.
Large window fronts of the pavilion-like new building open up to the garden. The living space merges with the outdoor area: landscape and house combine to form a communicative symbiosis in keeping with the Mediterranean way of life.
The interplay of positive and negative forms lends Villa Baronessina an exciting aesthetic that transforms the monolithic architectural style into constructive lightness. Structural colours from traditional and local construction methods clarify the appearance: lime white, oxide red, ultramarine blue, reb black brownish, sulphur yellow, gold, silk matt and high gloss. The relationship of form, material and colourfulness forms a balanced unity realised in perfection.