Can you guess who by?

Offbeat favorite, Antonino Cardillo of course. Does this fellow ever stop creating new ideas?

This house, due to be completed by the year’s end, is a very cool new design from Cardillio, my favorite part possibly being how it appears to merge with the water. Check out the lake setting…

“Outside, to the south, the living area extends its own teak flooring so as to lap the swimming pool. Beyond the mirror of water, in an ambiguous and inaccessible place, a portico measures and interprets the landscape. To the north of the glass room, a textile parabola, stretched between the two edges of the building, shades the external dining area. Lastly, the eccentric collocation of a tower for the stairs subverts the symmetrical composition of the building and determines oblique perceptions of its internal spaces, thus becoming the essential key to a reading of the architectonic text.”

 

Kind of luscious no? The house is two levels; each distinct, “A compact basement in travertine comprises the hall and bedroom on whose terrace is set a high, luminous living room, articulated by a slender white metal structure. This at the same time designs the textures of the perimetral glass surfaces. The landscape, from within, is thus broken up into myriad quadrants and undergoes an analytical process of reconstruction.”

To see more images and to read more about this home visit World Architecture News.

If you like this house, you can see more of Cardillio’s work at:

• Flamenco y arquitectura
• Antonino Cardillo’s Vaulted House
• Birnbeck Island
• Antonino Cardillo
• Antonino Cardillo: Take Two

[images via Antonino Cardillo]

Post from: Blisstree

Max’s House in a Small Lake

But first Cardillo. He sent me some shots of his House of Convexities near Barcelona – and like all his work, this house is amazing.

It’s so unusual for the landscape. Very offbeat. I love how, from this view, it’s in line with the range. That’s pretty cool. Along with the photos Cardillo sent his own description; which is really neat, so let’s look at that…

“If architecture is music in stone can its “limbs” dance? Architecture only remains still in pictures. In real life its natural state is one of transition. Both man and light move within it.

Inside a house among coarse Mediterranean glades and corrugated stone walls, a slanting light, pierced by innumerable narrow repeated blades, inscribes and describes the walls with its impermanent, mutable hand. How many possible stories will this light tell over the course of a year?

A curved wall jokes with the light. The light bathes the wall, but reaches the moment and the place in which, going beyond the curve, it takes a tangent, deciding what will be lit and what will be dark. And this movement suggests the indefinite, mutability, shading, ineffability.

Thus architecture becomes light interpreted through the “limbs” of the architecture. Like shadows of flesh on flesh, whose forms are both definite and defining.”

“A curved wall jokes with the light!” I’m thinking this is one architect who is a poet as well. Maybe a second job is in order. From the view above the idea of layout might be a little baffling, but this layout shot below allows the design to make more sense.

To see the interior, and more of the description, jump to the next page…

My favorite, well, one of my favorite things about Cardillo’s designs are all the curves. Each of his structures that I’ve seen have these swooping, gentle curves, and it’s so soothing. Your eyes want to follow the lines. For example, check out the swoop below; all I’m thinking is whoosh…

More description:

“Here, as in a Flamenco dance, the body breaks up, invading the space moving through its potential articulations without, however, defining the void, or, interpreting the many possibilities of moving within it: fleshy and sensual, but equally incisive and precise. Secret but luminous. Closed but open to a multitude of possibilities. A body inside another body. Compressed, suspended and continuous in its curvilinear trajectory.

And yet, as in a Flamenco dance, the development of movement, its indefinable ardour, is made real by the successive instant. That solemn, still instant that seems to challenge eternity.

Thus, smooth, tall and still, a wall opposes silence. And such stillness paradoxically supports the preceding movement, giving sense to its being.”

Wait until you see this image:

What the flip!? I love it. I haven’t ever seen an interior quite like this one before.

Like Cardillo’s other designs, this one is innovative, makes use of great colors (I always like the subtle hues going on), and full of creative light. If you’re interested in seeing more, check out the following posts:

Other Cardillo designs:

• Birnbeck Island
• Vaulted House
• Home in Erice
• Ellipse house – maybe my favorite

[All photos courtesy of Antonino Cardillo]

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Flamenco y arquitectura

Antonino Cardillo’s Vaulted House – I pretty much adore everything Cardillo creates. The colors, the lines, the minimal factor.

Outstanding Offbeat Organic Beauty – the Work of Robert Harvey Oshatz – His work is so amazing.

Arte Luise Kunsthotel – This hotel may be one of the best in the world. I love the whole idea of themes by artists.

 The Most Stylish Blogger Spaces In the World! – So far, a theme day post hasn’t made the top four in any of the months this year. However, I really liked the show your office theme day we did here at the Lifestyles Channel. It’s cool to see where other bloggers work.

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The Best of Offbeat Homes: April 2008

Current Mood: Enthralled With Drew Heath – there’s no reason not to be enthralled. Especially once you see the zig zag.

Quite Possibly the Single Most Offbeat Home in the World: Luna Parc – I still think this is one of the weirder homes ever.

Seriously Lust Worthy Lundberg Design House – maybe my most favorite Offbeat home ever.

November Kick-Off: Antonino Cardillo – I adore Cardillo. He’s just the nicest person ever, and a cool architect, thus he makes the top four for November.

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The Best of Offbeat Homes: November 2007

The Vaulted House is lovely, and now, thanks to WAN, I can tell you that it’s in Parma, Italy. The exterior of this home, like all Cardillo homes is unique and clean. His work is always so darn tidy – my record collection and books would look so out of place in one of his homes.

See inside…

I love this shot below… it really shows how the space must feel so large if you’re there. Actually, the entire space of the home is striking with the green accents. Unusual but clearly Cardillo style and very slick. As usual the design is full of light that plays on the walls and colors of the home. I think that’s my favorite thing about Cardillo’s designs, his work is never static, it changes even after completion.

Read all about this home at WAN.

Other related Cardillo designs:

Birnbeck Island

Home in Erice

Ellipse house – my favorite possibly

[All photos courtesy of Antonino Cardillo]

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Antonino Cardillo’s Vaulted House

Here’s an overview of the plan:

Cardillo says this is for the Birnbeck Island Competition in Weston-Super-Mare (UK). This international architecture competition is being held by Urban Splash, in association with the RIBA

From the competition site:

“This is the chance of a lifetime to create an exciting development for a fantasy island in Weston-super-Mare.

We are running this competition as we want to deliver an outstanding seaside development, which realises the potential of the site and reinforces the regeneration of Weston-super-Mare.

The Competition is open to registered architects or designers in collaboration with other design disciplines and it is our intention that the winning design will be built. Urban Splash is looking for inspiration. We want to transform Birnbeck into a beautiful, awe-inspiring destination. We want to deliver a fantastic development with public access, new attractions and facilities to draw more residents, workers and tourists back to Weston.”

Visual of Cardillo’s plan:

Why re-establish the Weston-super-Mare?

“Weston-super-Mare was one of the great seaside destinations. In the olden days tourists from across the West Country, the Black Country and Wales flocked to the resort to enjoy its beautiful settings and attractions and more importantly, its alcohol. Wales was dry on a Sunday back then, so packed paddlesteamers used to cross the channel to Weston so that our Welsh friends could quench their thirst.

Although tourist numbers have fallen, the town still attracts visitors. Weston has retained its classic seaside character, with the donkeys on the beach and fish and chips on the seafront, providing solid building blocks for the future.”

Urban Splash snagged Birnbeck Island, Pier and Headland in 2006, and they think that developing Birnbeck Island and Headland will regenerate Birnbeck Weston-super-Mare.

The Island back in the day:

The island currently:

More visuals of Cardillo’s plan:

Cardillo’s plan explained…

“This architectomic complex is born out of the pre-existing piers and buildings developing into a system of pathways. Like a big naval vessel, a curved shape embraces all the diverse elements of the composition, substituting an old concrete platform with the new basement building. Constructed five metres beneath the main peir, it is accessible from a ramp near the main gate of Birnbeck Island. Its sequence of flexible spaces links all the buildings on the island from below… Two different materials divide these building surfaces: warm concrete at the bottom and planking at the top.”

The theory behind the plan…

“Having to be at least in intention a lasting phenomenon, architecture “puts up with” entertainment. Entertainment is ephemeral, mutable, and a building that tries to fix the shape of a space in time is destined almost always to fail. Is an architecture of amusement possible then? Probably not, because it is difficult to surpass its own time without incorporating such a strong subliminal content for it to become significant in itself, able then to transcend the function for which the architecture was born, transforming the same function into a pretext. Entertainment certainly influences actions and thoughts. It is a form of social control. A responsible architecture can ignore these difficult presuppositions only with difficulty. “

I like the feeling behind these plans. I also think this design compliments the already existing structures on the island; it’s not overpowering, which if you take a look at the photo history of Birnbeck, you’d note that overpowering this space with the wrong structures and flashy designs would be criminal. The space surrounded by water sort of calls for something more organic in nature. Cardillo’s plan, covers that aspect well I think.

Resources:

• Learn more about the international architecture competition.
• See other work of Antonino Cardillo.
• Visit Antonino Cardillo’s architecture site.

[many thank to Antonino Cardillo for the wonderful photos]

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New Antonino Cardillo Project: Birnbeck Island

This next home is in Erice and is lovely and offbeat. I talked a lot about Cardillo yesterday so today I think I’ll leave you with the beautiful images. You should however note the killer staircase. It’s smooth like candy ribbon.

To see more images of the home in Erice or to simply see all of Cardillo’s beautiful work visit him online.

[many thank to Antonino Cardillo for the wonderful photos]

Post from: Blisstree

Antonino Cardillo: Take Two

Cardillo is young in age as compared to many other fine architects but vastly talented — his work is seriously awe-inspiring to me. There’s a lot to his bio but here are some quickie stats; He attended courses in Modern History and Contemporaneity by Antonietta Iolanda Lima, contributing to various publications between 1994 and 2001 then produced photographic reports for the review “L’Architettura Cronache e Storia” by Bruno Zevi. Later (not too much later) he worked with the studio Nonis Maggiore in Milan and then briefly with the equally awe-inspiring Manfredi Nicoletti before opening his own architectural studio in Rome.

Cardillo is a kind fellow to boot. He recently nicely sent me some photos of his work that fit perfectly here at Offbeat; I think you’ll agree.

This first house is the Ellipse house in, “the hills near Rome” and it’s breathtaking. This house was created for warmth with geometric positioning towards the east and west to bring in sunlight both at dusk and dawn.

Much of the magic of this house is in the way colors play off the outdoor environment, vs. the sunlight, vs. the actual concrete double walls. At first it seems stark — much starker than my normal house obsessions. What makes this special and more alluring is that the interior colors change due to weather and of course the weather associated light and shadows. In the photos below I think this design play is really clear.

What might look cold in fact looks stunning. I would love to see it in the rain to see the change.

More after the jump.

My favorite is the area below. I’m usually not a fan of clear dividers of any sort in home. Not on balconies, not as walls, but I like how the loft areas in this home turned out. Without the clear panels I think it would have looked so much more closed up and part of the charm of this home is this wide open feeling you get.

You can read a full description in this article and view the floor plan — you really need to see see the floor plan it gives you the actual ellipse experience.

I’ve read at least one review that felt the Ellipse to be too cold (although they were torn on their final feelings). I don’t think it’s too cold or too concrete. It’s hardly static. The texture and light is what I think drew me in. Also, the entire ellipse shape is so clever and unique that I find it hard to believe it would fail to draw offbeat home lovers in.

Partly too is that the rest of Cardillo’s work is so creative and clean that you just fall for all of it no questions asked. I have one more Cardillo home lined up for later but for now you can tell me what you think…

Also in the meantime you can visit the Antonino Cardillo website to see more amazing work.

[many thank to Antonino Cardillo for the wonderful photos]

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November Kick-Off: Antonino Cardillo