Situated on the upmarket coast of Porto Rotondo, Sardinia, Alvisi Kirimoto’s Villa S stands true to Italian architectural traditions, particularly resonating with the concept of piazzas. A yellow San Giacomo granite staircase serves as a promenade that runs across the site starting from the highest point of the terrain. Three building units are scattered around this connecting corridor with pockets of green embracing each unit. The walk following the morphology of the site behaves as a piazza or a “village square” as the Italian architects term it, tying the entire site together. 

Placed amidst Sardinia’s hilly outcrop of the Gallura region and the stunning coastline of Golfo degli Aranci, the villa capitalises on the beauty around it by facilitating a permanent connection through massive glazed openings. The three units are segregated based on functionality and staggered by topography for this residential architecture project.

The east-west-oriented main unit consists of the living room, dining area and the kitchen. It also includes a basement that serves as a core with ancillary spaces such as the technical room, warehouse and cellar. The burnished brass folding window frames extend the unit into the terraces that overlook serene blue waters. These terraces, which terminate at the swimming pool, are used for social gatherings for the family.

“The exceptional nature of the project also arises from the dialogue with local artisans, specialised artists who have been able to give life and richness to the local granite, making it the true protagonist of the project,” states the principals Massimo Alvisi and Junko Kirimoto. The natural granite boulders on site have been seamlessly incorporated through the concept of cyclopean masonry that is native to the land of Italy. Peppered across the walls of the Acropolis to the famous aqueducts across Italy, this timeless masonry technique is achieved by fitting together irregularly shaped stones without the use of mortar. 

The interior colour palette of the main unit is a balance between the neutral tone of marble and granite and the vibrant hues of wood. The split granite rubble on the exterior walls of the villa architecture amplifies the extravagance that the interior space exudes. The Orosei marble flooring continues beyond the interior spaces to spill onto the deck and the terraces, creating a seemingly threshold-less concept. A pitched wooden roof with four Duo beams made of Iroko wood, with a metal central and lateral node system caps the entire volume. This wooden technology improves the acoustic performance, along with additional aesthetic features.

An additional customised kitchen crowns the terrace consisting of a wood-burning oven and a marble cooktop. This outdoor setup is used to host summer lunches and dinners. The curved parapets of the terrace continue the granite rubble to the top. The exterior tiled roof over the extended terraces has been preserved to pay homage to the former ruins of the site. 

The bedrooms and the utility have been spread across the other two building units. Since these two units accommodate more intimate spaces, the connection to the context is restricted to private gardens and green stone walls. Furthermore, the entrance porches to both these volumes are recessed into metal pergolas. The exterior finish is granite and Iroko wood, while the interior spaces compliment the granite with a natural lime plaster and Iroko parquet floor. The master bedroom slightly differs in terms of size, height and materiality. The finishes there are more on the lines of the main building with stone walls and a wide glazing unit on the east, overlooking the garden and the serene views of the sea. 

“We met in the open space among the existing ruins and it occurred to us that the project should start from there,” asserted the architects, expressing how the concept was a cast-in-situ model. Portraying aspects from an abyss of heritage, Villa S celebrates Italian architecture and craftsmanship. Endorsing a traditionally rooted luxurious villa with an essence of contemporary facets, Alvisi Kirimoto dictates a storyline of how conventional materiality meets modern aesthetics.