San Domino Lighthouse
Competition finalist: A story-telling experience, an inviting environment tailored to suit the needs of a boutique hotel in San Domino, Italy, reveals a fascinating history that lies within the walls.
Our vision
The lighthouse, perching on the cliffs of San Domino, was sympathetically restored as a unique, luxury boutique hotel with a narrative of history, tactility and transparency. A concept of transparency is produced by the organisation and articulation of sequential and continuous spaces, divided by planes or frames ordered in a layered or stratified manner. With this design principle, we explore a phenomenal transparency, as in a painting, layering and stratifying subjects into planes to create depth. Such principles were demonstrated by modernist architects and impressionist artists such as Le Corbusier and Boccioni, respectively.
Transparency and Layering
Through layering, the aged character of the original stone structure is expressed while the new interventions, that partition the existing structure into usable spaces, are layered in a sequence on top. This creates visual connections between spaces and materials and a contrast between the old and the new, introducing modern and luxurious materials, that frame and express the unique hermitic character of the lighthouse, vital for a boutique hotel.
Materiality and Light
The materiality is influenced by what exists on site, such as stone, brick, steel and sustainably sourced local Holm Oak. This also includes changes in colours caused by light throughout the day and of course as a former lighthouse, the importance of light as a means of creating mood and highlighting important architectural details, is realised through strategic placement of warm and subtle toned light fixtures.
Preservation and Re-use
There are two key approaches to creating a sustainable design. Firstly, recognising the longevity and embracing the natural decay of the existing building as a permanent structure in which all future interventions fit around it. Secondly, re-use and upcycling of existing materials on-site that would otherwise be wasted. For example, there are large amounts of discarded bricks lying on the site that can be put to better use as outdoor terraces and interior floor surfaces.
