Como Lakehouse by Gregorio Pecorelli
The Como Lakehouse, designed by Gregorio Pecorelli, envelops with intense reflections and juxtaposes the old with the new within its residence in Lago di Como, Italy. The house exercises a delicate design language, intermixing serene hues and local materials within a modern interior design style that draws on historical authenticity while emphasizing the surrounding natural beauty. A small garden marks the entrance to this home, where a large magnolia tree commands attention.
Nestled Among The Waters Of Lake Como
The waters of Lake Como envelop the house, invading it with their waves and crossing it with their changing reflections. Built in stone at the beginning of the last century on top of an old dock, the house was originally the home of a boatman. The main access was from the lake, where a small boat found mooring and shelter inside the structure, passing through a vaulted opening that still characterizes the building, located on the edge of a steep and wild slope.
Like An Artwork Within Nature
The three-story building is flanked by an embankment that also overlooks the lake. Here there is a small garden, marked by the presence of a large magnolia tree, onto which a small wing of the building opens, added in past decades. The restoration project was commissioned by a foreign client, fascinated by the authenticity of the building and the melancholic atmosphere of the lake. The client’s request was to carry out a restoration that would preserve the exterior of the structure, the patina of the lime plaster, and the intimacy of the small garden.
Elegant Spaces Brimming With Atmosphere
Gregorio Pecorelli interpreted these requirements with a restoration project that, while respecting the original characteristics of the building and its extraordinary location, gave rise to a contemporary intervention. Forms, materials, and finishes blend together to create a suspended and calm atmosphere, a refuge from chaotic modern life.
Access from the ground is via a steep path down the hill. Once you reach a small terrace above the garden, you enter the house. The original interiors were completely demolished due to their poor quality, and numerous structural interventions were necessary to empty the building and create the large living room overlooking the water, as desired by the client. This is where the project reveals itself: Gregorio Pecorelli has managed to shape a space that, while respecting the original structure, expresses a taste and lifestyle that belong to this era.
A Striking Blend Of Modern Materials
The perimeter walls are enhanced by a refined chromatic continuity between the walls and curtains. The ceiling has been freed from the existing horizontal structures, revealing the soffit of the truncated pavilion roof, covered in burnt wood to accentuate the depth towards the top. The main entrance is through a glass door that illuminates the kitchen and connects it to the large living room. In the center of the kitchen is a stone island, surrounded by a wooden space with simple and comfortable lines. The 10×10 stone floor recalls the typical formats of the humbler houses in the area. The linen curtains create an elegant contrast with the burnt wood roof that reflects the light. The large living room, with floor-to-ceiling windows, opens onto the lake, creating an intimate and relaxing atmosphere. Vintage furnishings and a large custom-made rug complete the atmosphere.
A dark wood volume occupies a central position in the room. It includes the kitchen, technical spaces, and, on a higher level, a small guest suite. Custom solutions integrate a spiral staircase into the furnishings, creating a refined geometric effect. A second spiral staircase, adjacent to the first, descends to the lower floor, where a large diagonal space carved into the rock reveals the structure of the old dock. Here, where the water and its reflections of the afternoon sun penetrate the interior of the building, there is a study and a spa clad in stone and wood, with a Jacuzzi overlooking the lake.
The master bedroom, located in the secondary wing and connected by a corridor to the entrance, overlooks the garden. A built-in wall integrates the bed and a small foldaway desk. The bathroom, also clad in stone and wood, is equipped with a custom-made Dolomite stone bathtub and sink. The house is furnished with numerous pieces of modern furniture, purchased at auction, which complement the client’s art collection. This is the case with the 814 armchairs by Ico and Luisa Parisi, the scissor chairs by Lina Bo Bardi in Jatobá wood, and unique pieces such as the desk by George Nakashima.
Collaboration With Local Craftsmen
The complex morphology of the site presented both logistical and design challenges. Collaboration with skilled craftsmen made it possible to engineer every detail with the precision of a BIM model, minimizing waste and ensuring rigorous control over the entire construction process.
Guided by a rigorous and analytical approach, Gregorio Pecorelli Studio tackles architecture on different scales, ranging from the intimacy of domestic environments to the larger dimension of public buildings. The search for simplicity and consistency leads each project towards the essence of things, with the aim of infusing spaces with concreteness and poetry. Currently, the studio is engaged in private and public residential projects in Italy and the Netherlands.
Photography by Francesca Iovene
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