VILLA BIANCA A SEVESO
The “Classical Substrate” Creates Very Modern Masterpieces
Giuseppe Terragni
Villa Bianca occupied a large lot, measuring roughly 100 metres in length along the street by 63 metres in depth, in a suburban development at Corso Garibaldi 87 in the town of Seveso. The northern part of the site was subdivided and sold; the house now sits on an almost square lot measuring roughly 60 x 63 metres, passing from an original form open at the corner toward Via Sprelunga to an intercluded lot and transforming the perception, the proportions and the spatiality of the home. The completely asymmetrical position, very close to the main road, biased toward the south-east corner, was a result of the sum of characteristics, including the visibility of the house as much from the street as the views it offered. The structure of load bearing walls in reinforced concrete gives the construction the substance of a solid volume that would have been vitiated by infilling a framed construction. The villa was raised approximately 1.2 metres above the ground. On the one hand this choice elevated views out and on the other consented the insertion of windows to ventilate the half basement level, occupied by the laundry, garage and staff lodgings. Access to the house, at the raised ground floor, is provided by a stair/ramp at the back. There is a canonical arrangement with a serving zone and served zones at the sides. The serving zone, at the centre, features, aside from the entrance, the stair to the basement and first floor. On the north-east side is the large living room with a study that pushes outward and, in the south-east area, the kitchen, a service room and the dining area. At the first floor the stair provides access on the left toward the south-east to two bedrooms and toward the right to a large master bedroom with a study or annexed bedroom. Both benefit from access to a terrace/patio. From here a new stair leads to the solarium, topped by the famous canopies that play not only with the famous dynamic effect, but also offer protection against the sun and wind.