An architect’s holiday home on the shore of Lake Garda
When an architect builds themselves a holiday home, it is the ultimate expression of everything that is most joyful and playful in their craft; somewhere to forget the pressure of work and relax in nature. Alberto Salvati wanted to create such a place to escape the urban bustle of Milan with his family, selecting a spot amid olive groves on a hillside near Lake Garda.
Here, in 1972, he built three simple, cube-shaped houses, one for him and the others for his brothers. Salvati’s house is a crisp white volume, cheerfully punctuated by geometric shapes and primary colours, which resembles a child’s building block or a bleached Rubik’s cube.
Salvati, alongside fellow architect Ambrogio Tresoldi, made up one of the most important architectural partnerships working in Italy from the 1960s to the 80s. Both began their careers at the Politecnico di Milano under Carlo De Carli (designer of the iconic Cassina chair that won the first ever Compasso d’Oro in 1954), and their work was often championed by Gio Ponti.
Proponents of Le Corbusier’s concept of home as a ‘machine for living’, the duo were known for their innovative approach to design, in particular a passionate and precise use of bright colour that became a signature of their work – not just in architecture, but also furniture and lighting design.
Today, the architect’s rural bolthole is lovingly cared for by its new owners: Simone and Ulrich Grau. After buying the property in the summer of 2019, they undertook its restoration, respectfully preserving its authentic charm. Now, the clean, primary colours are as bright as they were in 1972, and the rooms are filled with design classics and period pieces that speak directly to the architecture.
The open-plan ground floor is zoned, with the dining area and living room assembled around the fireplace featuring floor-to-ceiling windows that look out across fields. A kitchen by luxury Italian brand Rossana sits at the heart of this level, while a round stone staircase leads to an open gallery, three bedrooms and a bathroom above.
From the cupboards to the room dividers, windows and striking checkerboard floors, everything is original. Still standing out against its surroundings, this unpretentious architectural jewel continues, with ease, to fulfil Salvati’s brief of total relaxation.
