Marcante-Testa transform an apartment in Milan’s CityLife district into a bespoke domestic landscape. Amid art, sustainable materials, and living nature
by Francesca Benedetto — photos by Andrea Ferrari — words by Germano D’Acquisto
In CityLife, among the multifaceted volumes of Daniel Libeskind’s buildings, the Marcante-Testa architecture firm faces a new challenge: transforming a 120-square-meter apartment into a personal home, tailored to the needs of a young family. The project constructs a complex narrative, where every detail evokes and preserves a story. A couple—he, a lawyer, she, a children’s book illustrator—with two daughters, ages 6 and 10, contacted them, already familiar with their work, seeking to add greater breadth and character to the residence. “The main requests were to optimize space and function,” explains the Turin-based design duo.
“With the need for three bedrooms, the largest possible living room, and the desire to create airy, flowing spaces, perfect for displaying works of art.” The complexity of the layout, within a highly distinctive architecture yet with irregular walls and challenging corners, required a project that “disrupted the standardized luxury aesthetic, favoring materials with an identity and history,” explains Adelaide. “So for the flooring, we used linoleum, a sustainable and affordable material with a tradition dating back to the late 19th century and whose value lies precisely in its durability. The walls of the bathrooms and kitchen are clad in handcrafted glazed ceramic tiles produced in Holland, combining standard formats with highly customizable color effects.” The owners’ art collection, integrated from the early stages of the project, plays a central role. “We designed custom architectural elements that, in some cases, completely replace the walls,” continues Andrea. “Niches were designed to house paintings and integrated shelves to house smaller works, encouraging free rotation of the various pieces.” Thus, the home becomes a living system, constantly evolving, reflecting the evolving tastes of its inhabitants. The ceiling cornices, also present in other projects by the studio, define the functional areas: dining, conversation, and relaxation. “Beyond being decorative elements, they characterize the different zones, making the home more intuitive,” the architects continue. “Added to this is the use of colors that define the spaces, transforming the transition from one room to another into a true narrative journey.” Family life then extends outdoors, where irregular terraces have become authentic passageways and rest areas. “We transformed these spaces into additional outdoor rooms,” Andrea continues. “Natural extensions of the domestic spaces, designed both for children and for moments of conviviality. The proximity to other buildings and the lack of a particularly interesting view led us to envision a green belt around the apartment, designed with landscape architect Chiara Martini.” In the evening, the specially designed lighting makes the rich selection of seasonal plants even more evocative, amplifying the feeling of being immersed in nature. “It’s a reference to the Japanese technique of shakkei,” Adelaide explains, “in which the external landscape—in this case created by the project—is ideally borrowed to become an integral part of the architecture.” In a context where the verticality of skyscrapers becomes impersonal, this house refocuses the experience of living, becoming a place where memory, art, and everyday life intertwine.
“We imagined a house that speaks to those who live in it, rather than to the neighborhood; not a neutral and standardized container, but a place where memory, art, and everyday life intertwine.” (MT)