A contemporary design vision

The design concept for the Santa Lucia apartment complex located in a residential neighbourhood of Viterbo exploits the symbolic and spatial significance of the windows to define the overall aesthetics of the project. The geometries of the individual buildings are conceived as surfaces that expand or compress the visual perception of the volumes through a judicious choice of finishing materials and colours, including custom-cut travertine for the window frames and ceramic panels for the façades.

The design enhances the importance of the window frames, a detail often overlooked in contemporary buildings but here referencing classical architecture in terms of both form and material. Locally sourced travertine stone, cut on-site to specific thicknesses, serves as a powerful communicative element while adding a distinctive architectural signature to the complex.

The ceramic façade panels were also selected with both concept and design in mind. While travertine is used mainly as an accent, the other materials – particularly porcelain stoneware – are decidedly contemporary in terms of both texture and production processes. Porcelain is highly versatile and suitable for many different applications, combining high mechanical strength with durability, minimal maintenance and sustainability.

In agreement with the client, the architect opted for Cerdisa’s EC1 collection in the dark grey Barbican colour to create a backdrop that highlights the window frames and mouldings, which were envisioned as distinctive elements of the project from the outset.

Like the travertine elements, the ceramic façade panels were also produced in custom sizes to highlight the pattern of joints across the building’s various elevations. Because the installation method involved direct bonding onto the exterior insulating cladding, specific formats were required. The result is a fascinating interplay of colours, materials and styles that perfectly encapsulates the vision of architect Stefano Labellarte, who masterminded the project.