Golden Box

Written by Omar Dahabra

Location: Arzignano, Italy
Year: 2024
Architects: AMAA
Photography by: Simone Bossi + Mikael Olsson

Golden Box tells the story of a golden object nestled within a small apartment from the early 1900s, its richness emanating from the original Palladiana terrazzo floor. The new addition stems from a reflection on the concept of dwelling, with the intent to abolish the corridor, a connective yet emotionally barren space typical of traditional homes built between the 1960s and 1980s.

The clients' request was for a petit refuge — a weekend getaway to detach from the daily frenzy, albeit just a few kilometers from their current residence. With passion and foresight, they supported and encouraged the exploration in various spatial, conceptual, and material directions.

The design process draws from the past experiences of Jean Prouvé, Le Corbusier, and Charlotte Perriand and their small living devices — precious episodes meticulously studied and refined. Liberating the space from existing partitions and restoring the Palladian floor allowed for the insertion of a single volume (measuring 5 x 5 meters): a sort of treasure chest containing all the necessary life functions, including the kitchen, sleeping area, bathroom, and relaxation space.

Golden Box is oriented to create tensions with the ceiling decoration and the irregular geometry of the existing walls. In an attempt to blur the boundaries between indoor and outdoor spaces, the new volume aligns with Corso Giuseppe Mazzini, a thoroughfare traversing the city, while the only window opening onto the east façade frames the adjacent Mattarello Courtyard. Access to this 'secret garden' is extended to the interior of the bathroom, thanks to a curved glass positioned at the corner opposing the window. Specially crafted frames and elements hide joints and attachments. The preciousness of the device lies in AMAA's research on materials, particularly brass. Through collaboration with De Castelli, a specific method of etching and fixing the surface of the slabs was developed, echoing the outcome already present on the back side of the company's processed slabs. Thus, a single precious material envelops the volume, concealing and revealing the interior spaces as needed: everything unfolds within the depths of the treasure chest.

The only other color — green: a clear reference to the copper roofing of the church designed by Giovanni Michelucci in Arzignano is here expressed with some material variations: imperial green marble in the bathroom and kitchen, lacquered wood and velvet.

The rapid concept phase gave way to a long and meticulous process of design development and refinement of construction details: the realization of mockups and the construction spanned nearly three years of work on site, carried out through intense collaboration between the architects and the local craftsmen, deeply rooted in tradition but still capable of inventing and transforming. Text description by the architects.

Source: www.amaa.studio + www.thearchitecturecurator.com

Omar Dahabra
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