Lifting a roof

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Lifting a roof
Transformation of a rooftop, Torino 2018

Italian building regulations and local officials are quite conservative (euphemism). When asked to renovate the rooftop of a 19th century building into a luminous contemporary space, we knew that outside it couldn’t look any different from the neighboring historical buildings and that we couldn’t open wider windows.

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We were caught in the Italian architects’ typical contradiction: needing to be modern while having to look ancient. According to a local expression, we were asked to obtain capra e cavoli.
Stretching the norms, instead of proposing larger windows, the project raises the roof pitch a few centimeters, obtaining a continuos linear window invisible from the street. This window provides unusual views and works as an internal walkway for the family’s very shy cat – a real catwalk. (Unfortunately the cat was hidden during the photo shoot).
The rest of the apartment is basically an open space with yellow vaults connecting opposite garrets and a treadmill above the bathroom. A little terrace – for the cat, too – is obtained by moving one window inward.

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Design: Subhash Mukerjee
Collaborator: Mattia Gola
Site supervision, accounting, safety: Filippo Rizzo
Structures and HVAC: FRED srl
Main contractor: Gi.Emme srl
Client: private
Surface: 150 sqm
Photos: Beppe Giardino

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