The extraordinarily glamourous result took nine years to realise, and is an ingenious, unexpectedly playful homage to the forces of nature it celebrates.
Photographs tend to highlight Villa Marittima’s extreme, sexy minimalism: vast, hard-to-read spaces with translucent walls, moveable glazing of monumental proportions and raked floors more commonly seen in art galleries or concert halls; an internal swimming pool moodily lit to create an otherworldly atmosphere throughout; concealed necessities (even the kitchen stows away completely when not in use); an interior of white and pale grey, with barely a stick of furniture and a complete absence of the artworks, furnishings and personal items that usually lend texture and personality to a home. It’s a gobsmackingly sleek, stylish package, but it looks uncompromising and therefore like hard work to live in.
The delightful surprise in experiencing Villa Marittima is the warmth and humour of its owners and the playful eccentricities at its core. This is a home and a style of hospitality that takes fun – and parties – very seriously indeed.
Read the full story in Habitus issue #33, available now.
Robin Williams Architect
robinwilliamsarchitect.com
Words by Kath Dolan.
Photography by Dean Bradley.
