In Rome, in the heart of the Appio Latino district just a few steps from the Caffarella Park, the Roman duo La Macchina Studio transforms a 1950s apartment into a surreal set where reality and fiction coexist like within a theatrical scene, Retroscena Apartment
Thanks to the multidisciplinary approach of the two founders of La Macchina Studio, the house renovation project combines architecture, theater, music, and illustration.
Interpreting the personality of the young couple of clients, the architects on one hand recovered the Venetian terrazzo floor in Retroscena with the help of local artisan craftsmen, and on the other hand, they completely transformed the internal layout to start a new narrative.
The project starts with the insertion on the ground of new materials corresponding to the traces of the original divisions.
The living area
is defined by a clear band in black marble and botticino
The area along the corridor
reprises the original design of the flooring with a pinkish binder based on pozzolana powder
The bedroom
is tinged with the warm nuances of red brick microcement.
The result is a combination of designs, different textures and colors that creates a “collage” effect, in contrast with the absolute white of the plastered walls
“With Retroscena we wanted to enhance the irreverent and surreal nature of the architectural narrative, which is indissolubly linked to the photographic one by playing with chromatic contrasts, graphic motifs, and unexpected incursions,” say Gianni Puri and Enrica Siracusa, founders of La Macchina Studio.
The apartment develops longitudinally along the load-bearing wall, which represents the boundary between private and representative space and creates a landscape rhythm by three different elements.
A white pontelaccato wardrobe hides a small study: the reader's refuge, an intimate, quiet space isolated from the rest of the house.
A gray-blue flush door that appears drawn on the wall, instead gives access to the bathroom covered in white mosaic with contrasting grout lines, cut by an ogival passage through which you can glimpse the back wall in peacock enamel and the free-standing sink. Finally, a classic blue lacquered wooden arched door leads to the sleeping area with clean lines and a welcoming atmosphere. The door, with its wooden profile protruding 70cm towards the dining room, is the focal point of the living area and hides the kitchen furniture from view.
The living room is the largest space in the house: a yellow-colored curtain runs along the demolished wall, outlining the areas and creating a soft boundary between different functions. Retroscena offers a playful and fantastical view of the house.
Bold color choices and small design tricks give personality to the interiors, shining the spotlight on the inhabitants, who are the protagonists of a theatrical and architectural piece full of surprises.
