Architecture
Gabriele Salvatori’s miniature stone homes
“House of Stone” was designed by John Pawson. The miniature structure was carved out of a single block of Pierta d’avila limestone.
About his piece, Pawson said (courtesy of Wallpaper), “Over the past year, many of us have spent unusual amounts of time at home. The object I have made is an expression of the iconography of home taught to us in childhood – or at least one version of it.”
Image courtesy of: Wallpaper
Each of us found a different way to get through the lockdowns and restrictions over the past year and a half. In the absence of community interactions, we searched for new ways to funnel our creative energy… this was all inspiring to see and motivating to learn from. In particular, we at Suzanne Lovell Inc. were awed by Gabriele Salvatori’s collection, “the Village.”
Helmed by Gabriele Salvator, CEO of the Italian design brand that is his heirloom, it is no surprise that the project featured a series of abstract miniature homes made from the company’s natural stones. A number of internationally well-known architects and designers were asked to design their own idea of “home.” Among those selected, the contributors included John Pawson, Kengo Kuma, and Patricia Urquiola.
“Utopia” was created by Elisa Ossino.
The Sicilian architect chose classic Bianco Carrara, strikingly veined Grigio Versilia and delicate Palissandro Bluette for her work. With simple geometry, the “house” can be a singular building… or a combination of three.
Image courtesy of: Salvatori Official
During Italy’s lockdown in March of 2020, Ossino began thinking about the meaning of home. As most of us, being sequestered indoors brought on a range of unfamiliar feelings and emotions. The hope was to explore the “concept of home within the context of today’s global society and reinterpret it through the medium of design, whilst addressing fundamental themes of contemporary living.”
It makes perfect sense that the Salvatori looked to natural stone as the medium to use for this inventive project. The company whose motto is “Design meets natural stone,” was excited to personally work with an exciting, select group of architects to come up with their individual concepts of the “ideal home.”
“The Village” is an eclectic collection… similar to the “global village” that we live in.
Image courtesy of: 1st Dibs
Salvatori hoped to recreate the diverse setting of a “typical village;” thus open to each designer bringing forth his or her culture and background to their creation. The use of natural stone is the one common denominator; symbolizing that it is a material that has been used to construct buildings for thousands of years.
Natural stone provided refuge, a source of dwelling for cavemen communities; even though rudimentary in style, those first abodes protected and sheltered family units. As a people, we have evolved tremendously over the past thousands of years; nevertheless, we still look for the same characteristics when choosing our homes today.
The polished, smooth surface of “Alma” is constructed from marble which contrasts beautifully against the irregular surface of “Petra” which is made from travertine.
Image courtesy of: Stone Ideas
The first “home” was the release of Patricia Urquiola’s, “Kore.” An elegant pair of sculptures named “Alma and Petra,” the two pieces are made in Rosa Portogallo marble and travertine respectively. The designer described the sculptures, (courtesy of 1st Dibs), “A poetic nod to the Greek statues that depict young women on the cusp of adulthood. Petra and Alma evoke sentiments of domestic warmth and intimacy.”
Urquiola’s use of stone is quite subtle… the small structures are constructed from straight lines and work with light and shadow as a way to promote warmth and the intimacy that comes with it. The designer continues, “Home has become the centre of our lives, our town or city, our habitat. We have all become domestic navigators, trying to orient ourselves to these new latitudes, ways of living.”
The “Novecento” collection was designed by Rodolfo Dordoni. The different colored marble pieces include red Rosso Collemandina, dark grey Pietra d’avila, white Bianco Carrara, and green Verde Alpi.
Dordoni’s quartet reference back to modernist Italian architecture.
Image courtesy of: Wallpaper
Taking into account the seven designers’ different views and feelings about “home,” Salvatori exhibited the entire collection together after debuting the individual homes month after month. Salvatori sums it up perfectly, “The Village collection represents the world we inhabit on a daily basis, the backdrop of our day-to-day lives. Yes, it may be fragmented, colorful and diverse but at heart it is united. I wanted to involve architects and designers from all around the world so that we could bring that multicultural aspect that is such a part of our lives to this miniature global village.” Well said!
