Luxurious modernity and the Salento hospitality tradition

Located almost at the end of the Salento peninsula, the beaches of Torre Pali and Pescoluse face onto a stretch of sea often referred to as the «Maldives of Salento». Behind them lies the fertile Apulian countryside dotted with old farmhouses. Here, just 300 metres from the sandy coast, stands the new Perla Saracena Luxury Resort, a tourist complex built by the land owners with financial backing from a group of local private investors. The architectural project consists of nine independent units including six small villas with gardens and three penthouse suites immersed in the greenery of the Mediterranean maquis. «The suites are part of a larger overall project that will be completed within the next two years and will include the construction of a central hotel building with 18 rooms, reception, panoramic restaurant and roof garden with infinity pool, as well as a traditional Salentine «pajara» or rural house converted into a Hyper Luxury Suite with private wellness spa and a main house containing five other mini-apartments,» explains creative director Francesco Maglie. The entire project stands out for the high level of excellence achieved at every stage while ensuring compatibility of the spaces with the external environment and respect for traditional building techniques. The three buildings constructed to date each consist of two small ground-floor villas with gardens and an open-plan penthouse suite on the first floor.
«The three volumes have soundproof walls and hand-split local stone cladding,» continues Francesco Maglie. «The result is a structure in which the use of stone, delicate and natural colours and earth and sand tones recalls the solidity and strength of the traditional country homes known as «pajare». This contrasts with the hi-tech plaster finish used on the first floors, which was specially developed to be natural, breathable and highly resistant to the harsh atmosphere of the marine environment.» From a functional point of view, the ground-floor villas adopt a classic layout with a living area equipped with a concealed kitchenette, a bathroom with emotional showers, and a bedroom. The penthouses have an open space with a private spa in the bedroom and a bathroom area featuring chromotherapy, nebulisation and an ionised water blade for cervical massage, all enclosed in a glossy white lacquered crystal cube.
The ultra-thin porcelain laminate surfaces in a 100×300 cm size from Cotto d’Este’s Kerlite 5plus Cement Project collection proved the ideal choice for this context and are laid on the floor in two
tone-on-tone shades. Custom-made hand-painted sliding panels from Fuoriformato (Target Group) serve as the screen concealing the kitchenette.
Air conditioning is provided by a ducted system that also ensures uniform air dehumidification and purification in all the rooms. The intriguing lighting design, created by designer Giuliana De Matteis, uses lighting fixtures inspired by traditional Salento materials and utensils.