Inches Geleta

Description

Zanini Porta House is located in the Magadino plain, an evocative territory between the cities of Bellinzona and Locarno. The plain is delimited by mountain profiles in which anthropic presences intertwine with natural ones, giving shape to various land uses: from agricultural to industrial, and from leisure areas with particular natural qualities to residential neighbourhoods. The house falls into the latter category and is part of the peri-urban fabric that characterises the valley. The shape and position of the new building relate to the scale of the landscape and emphasise its horizontality: a large plinth, slightly raised off the ground, echoes the linearity of the landscape, as does the string course slab that contains the ground floor. The house is laid out as a succession of living spaces seeking continuous spatial relationships with the «horizontal» landscape context and guaranteeing a continuous and qualitative internal-external relationship. Materials were chosen to enhance the architectural expression of the façade while remaining faithful to the elaborate architectural concept and the place where it is inserted. The plinth and string course as well as the crowning cornice are in concrete. The façade was made of in-situ concrete using specific formwork; its expression relates to the Ticinese tradition and the industrial and handcrafted character of the Magadino plain.