Wanke House, Verbania, 2001 -2003

The house is situated on a hillsite overlooking part of lake Maggiore. Due to restringent lot dimensions a tower typology was chosen. The area had originally been characterized by rural insediaments but has now almost entirely been transformed in a pure residential area. Thus a type has been developed that even though maintaining local materials and several construction details assumed the overall aspect of a villa which again is inspired by the many beautiful turn of the century villas of the larger area. The original project had been somewhat more radical and modern but together with the client a more conservative approach had been chosen.

The villa consits of a three story tower enclosed by an L – shaped two story stoneblock containing the infrastructures. This stoneblock is fairly closed and protects the tower to the northside where a forest lies, to the south instead, towards the sun and the magnificient vista on the borromean islands the house is fairly open. The Stones applied are used white grantie blocks from a local quarry and the the roof tiles are vintage handmade tiles.