Architextile: The Perfect Blend of History and Modernity
Behold the Architextile – a modernist apartment situated in the historic city centre of Trieste, Italy. Designed in 2022 by the renowned architectural practice Marcante-Testa, this 180-square-metre dwelling pays tribute to the original period of the building, with fixtures, lighting and furniture such as modern classics by Eileen Gray, and sculptural contemporary designs by Konstantin Grcic for ClassiCon.
Exclusive textile architectural elements, custom-made by the Textiel Museum Tilburg in collaboration with textile designer Aleksandra Gaca, offer a palette of soft pastel and natural tones, creating a timeless and elegant atmosphere.
About Architextile
Revitalizing a Trieste Apartment: An Art and Design Project
German-Italian couple with a passion for art and textiles commissioned the architectural practice Marcante-Testa to redesign their early 20th century apartment in Trieste, Italy. The architecture and interior design studio, founded in Turin in 2014, has made a name for itself in sophisticated projects, including high-end furniture, bathroom and kitchen fittings.
Paying Tribute to Existing Structures
The project was to create an outstanding interior that paid tribute to the existing structures while integrating aspects of contemporary aesthetics, function and comfort, in the 180-square-metre (1,937-square-foot) apartment.
Creating a Timeless Aesthetic
The owners wanted furnishings that reference the work of creative women from the era during which the apartment was built, such as the Trieste artist Anita Pittoni in the 1930s. Inspired by Pittoni, Marcante-Testa designed custom “Architextiles”: partitions, wall coverings, cabinet fronts, and curtains, made exclusively for the project by the Textiel Museum Tilburg in collaboration with textile designer Aleksandra Gaca.
Modern Classics and Contemporary Designs
The timeless aesthetic is achieved by combining modern classic pieces, such as door handles by Walter Gropius and lamps and furniture by Eileen Gray, with striking contemporary designs by Konstantin Grcic for ClassiCon. These include the black version of the Venus Chair at the marble dining table, the upholstered Chaos Chair and Diana B Side Table in the living area, a white Pallas Table with Mars Chairs in the study area, and the Orcus Home Desk in the bedroom.
Photography courtesy of Marcante-Testa
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- by Matt Watts
