Sartoria degli Spazi

Past and present come together

A renovated historic building near the old town centre of Castellaneta (Taranto) intended as a shared and flexible space at the disposal of local businesses. An architectural project that brings together past and present while focusing strongly on well-being, and where the materials also contribute to establishing an empathetic relationship with the surrounding environment. The Pietra Piasentina Taupe collection used for the flooring, stairs and cladding brings its solidity and its singular aesthetic language.

Location Italy
Year 2022
Architect Rosanna Bussolotto
Applications Cladding & Flooring, Flooring
Project Type Office

Creative hub, events venue and co-working space

The intended use of an ambitious project: the renovation of a historic building, a tangible and intangible asset; the vision of an architecture as an experience, capable of generating emotions by bringing together space, material, light and colour; and an approach to sustainability that entails respect for the environment, as well as well-being for its occupants.

These are the distinguishing features of Sartoria degli Spazi, a creative hub, events venue and co-working space located in Castellaneta, near the historic town centre, based on the architectural project by Rosanna Bussolotto completed by Quartarella. A restoration and conservation work as well as building renovation involving three buildings: a rather prestigious historic palazzo dating back to the late 19^th Century, characterised by generous vaulted rooms; a more recently erected building – the addition of which appeared haphazard; and a depot built during the Sixties. A complex spanning approximately 400 square metres overlooking Via Mazzini and Via Tedesco, right in the town centre, where the green belt of Castellaneta is currently developing.

Iconic aesthetics, functionality and safety

The work focused on protecting the asset and converting it under the aegis of energy efficiency: hence the restoration and redistribution of historic settings and the use of state-of-the-art technological systems and renewable energy sources. Emphasis was placed on correctly selecting materials for both the indoor and outdoor cladding with three goals: iconic aesthetics, functionality and safety. The very qualities inherently found in the large Laminam slabs which were in fact used for the flooring, cladding and stairs.

The chosen collection is IN-SIDE, in Pietra Piasentina Taupe colour with the Flamed finish: this is no coincidence, since this collection enhances the stones used in the great Italian architectural tradition – porphyry, Cardoso and, as in this case, Piasentina – popular materials since the age of antiquity due to their strength, hard-wearing resistance and at the same time their outstanding styling appeal. In IN-SIDE, this reference to the past is teamed with the state-of-the-art technology used by Laminam, quashing one of the paradigms of ceramic surfaces, to create body and surface continuity in the slabs. IN-SIDE is therefore a material that can be processed, interpreted and enhanced on all sides.

Pietra Piasentina Taupe was in production when I was at Laminam HQ in 2018 with a group of industry enthusiasts. I immediately felt that it would be just the right fit for my Sartoria. It would unconditionally enhance its shape and material in an emotional, perceptual, tactile and sensory dialogue, leaving the space ultimately free…free to the imagination.

Rosanna Bussolotto

A constant balance between visible and invisible.

The colour Taupe with its Flamed surface effect used in Sartoria degli Spazi is especially suited to the world of interior design due to its bold hue and graphic impact. Without forgetting the functional benefits, such as size stability and resistance to scratches, impacts, heat and frost, and a superior coefficient of friction, which makes flamed surfaces ideal for use in stairs, corridors and damp and humid settings – where greater safety and control over slipperiness is required.

Restoration and renovation are, as we mentioned, the two conceptual pillars underpinning the project. Once the old partitions had been cleared, the openings in the masonry structures of the historic building were circled using flat steel profiles. The additions that downgraded the building were also demolished, rebuilding a new construction of the same size but shaped differently.

The floor plan distribution of the volumes allows each unit to create a liaison-dialogue with the outside. Placed side-by-side, the three blocks form a continuous front, leaving generous views of the outside clear, in the name of improved quality of life.

A large continuous façade with iron window profiles is reflected in the stretch of water where the reflection of light and a jet of water greet visitors during the day and create a magical atmosphere at night. The comfort of the sunshade affords games of light and shadow during the day, in a constant balance between visible and invisible.

Sartoria degli Spazi is a benchmark for many local businesses, craftsmen, suppliers and specialist companies; by opening its doors to visitors, it has become a shared and flexible space to host events and meetings too.