GG-loop adds façade and renovates interior of italian house

GG-loop adds façade and renovates interior of italian house
images © michael sieber

amsterdam-based studio GG-loop has renovated a house in altamura, italy, aiming to generate awareness on the area’s current critical condition. the refurbishment project was composed of two parts: an exterior called ‘gentle genius’, and an interior called ‘the infection’. these two parts correspond to two different movements or states of mind: first, the observation or enabling protection from the outside, and second, the action that allows curing potential from inside. together they form ‘the seed of time’, the union of conscious and unconscious. 

architect giacomo garziano comments, ‘according to c.g. jung an important theme of alchemy is ‘the renewal of the king’. it describes the conversion of the king from an imperfect state, to heal and become a perfect, whole and incorruptible being. the design process for my family’s house started following an intuition, that developed over time taking the form we can see now. during the evolution of the project, a transformation, like the renewal of the king, has occurred in me. one of the major catalysts has been the album ‘in the court of the crimson king’ by king crimson, inhabiting my subconsciousness unravelling itself through catharsis in this project.’

built out of prismatic stones, each one on the wall represents an event of the family inhabiting the newborn tower

‘gentle genius’ façade appears flat from some angles, representing the quietness and the joy that the family has experienced. other views show a more chaotic skin, revealing the intensity of some specific dramatic moments. the exterior serves as a protective shield allowing a generative action to take place on the inside, to purify and heal the interior of the house, while the interior seeks to generate new life, to recreate a positive equilibrium in a long abandoned space. 

the shiny finishings of the crimson red façade reflects the blue sky 

the project ‘the seed of time’ was opened in october 2015, with an immersive performance by the art collective elephants and volcanoes. visitors were guided through the sculptural space by four actors. a culinary intervention, a dance performance, light and sound installations, a video projection, and costumes, transported the visitors into a parallel reality where the past, present, and future are merged to alter perception and open new pathways of perspective.

red represents rage, madness, and passion, while blue is used for feelings of loneliness, quietness, and sadness

the pattern of the facade simulates the sequence of extreme joy and deep sadness 
when a body is sick, its equilibrium shifts

the frozen image of a starry night acts like a clock, a landmark of a new age

a generative pattern made out of cells grows along the wall as a new plant, embracing the space

this interdisciplinary and multi-sensorial intervention aims for a change in consciousness
the project as a whole aspires to generate awareness of our surroundings and our body

architect giacomo garziano 

project info:

date: 2013-2015
program: refurbishment/interior design/art performance
location: altamura (it)
architect: gg-loop (interior in collaboration with mgarba)
opening event: elephants and volcanoes
photographer: michael sieber

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: juliana neira | designboom