Situated at the ground floor of a modest yet historic building benefiting from being located just in front of the small lovely ancient church devoted to Saint Efisio (the town’s worshipped protector), this architectural office features a warm atmosphere in between a working space and one of the cosy living rooms where one could be received in some houses of the surrounding historic neighbourhood.
Once trespassed the threshold the visitor founds himself in an hybrid space where the waiting room is fused together with the draughtsmen’s workstation (on the right side, as to the entrance, close to the windows facing the main street), a meeting area and the draughtsmen director’s desk. This last stands out at a wall featuring the reproduction of a work of Dutch photographer Hendrik Kerstens, well-known for portraying his daughter/model in postures reminding subjects of the 17th century Flemish paintings, yet evoking them by the sole skilled use of lights and the introduction of ordinary everyday contemporary objects (as like, in this case, a plastic shopping bag). Such image was chosen to be here since it is considered to be a perfect modern allegory of real creativity (based on simplicity and flash of genius) and, at the mean time, because it subtly enhances the strong cultural and affective links the architect has with Flemish countries. Beyond such wall is a narrow and short passage leading to the architect’s room, fitted with his desk, a bookshelf running along the wall, right below the windows facing the church, a vintage sofa negligently covered with a gray drape, a centrepiece bookshelf (“Ex Libris”, designed by Pierluigi Piu) and a richly draped purple curtain hiding both the access to the Kitchenette/toilet and a white wall used for projections of projects. Hanging from the ceiling beams is a 1940 clock coming from the local railway station, while all the vintage telephones laying on the aubergine colour desks belong to the personal collection of the architect. All pieces of furniture (apart from Xavier Pauchard’s “Tolix” chairs and the waiting room’s easy chairs) are bespoke and designed by Pierluigi Piu.