Villa San Martino, Lugano, Svizzera

Overlooking the Lake of Lugano the villa was built in an urbanized area halfway up the slopes of San Salvatore Mountain.

Architecturally it was decided to follow the inclination of the slope in order to have a more harmonious inclusion in the environment and a more consistent sun light. The 27 large apartments of which the building is made show spaces with arcades on different levels, covered loggias and large panoramic terraces. These seem to float on the lake and are constructed as external courtyards for the relaxation and recreation of each visitor. At several points the luxurious residential building appears to have been dug out of the mountain. It shows a lot of glass spaces particularly on the lake side with sunbreak elements in the parts most subjected to sun light.

The apartments have different sizes and they are developed on the slope on 7 levels. The ground floor near the lake houses the wellness area, the gym and the swimming pool with a large neighboring terrace. Each level contains between 4 and 5 very large apartments, taking into consideration the extraordinary orography of the area. The terraces are offset so as to allow more privacy to the guests. In the parts close to the mountain without sun lighting and without natural aeriation there are some rest rooms and on the fifth and sixth floor large functional garages are reachable from the upper road through ramps. Pedestrian access to the apartments takes place from these car parks or via a long stairway in the middle of the building that is illuminated by daylight.

The higher position allows a breathtaking view of the Lake of Lugano and the entire structure is located in an extremely luxurious residential district consisting of exclusive villas. The vegetation fills the free spaces between the houses and appears luxuriant such as the terrace cultivations that characterize the landscape conformation of the place. These terraces overlooking the lake become a source of design inspiration also for architecture. The "floating" platforms were covered with a full-body gres porcelain having a natural stone look that finds its continuity with the facade of the architectural building.