And to think that not long ago this was the old caretaker’s lodgings. Today the space, perched on the promontory overlooking the sea and immersed in the Aeolian atmosphere, filled with the scent of myrtle, broom and lavender, hosts the six minimal and poetic suites of the resort Capofaro Inn & Malvasia. Signed by the studio MAB Architectureled by designers Floriana Marotta and Massimo Basile, the redevelopment left the nineteenth-century vaults intact and added only what was necessary, including handcrafted cement tiles and brick furnishings.
Island Décor: Poetics of Subtraction
MAB Architettura has given new life to the Capofaro lighthouse, now in a state of abandonment, in six suites with a minimal designthus expanding the offer of the adjacent Capofaro Inn & Malvasiaa wine resort from the prestigious Relais & Châteaux collection located in an ancient Malvasia vineyard on the island. In the project of redistribution and restyling of the interiors, MAB Architettura adopted an approach of essentiality and sobriety, keeping intact some peculiar elements such as the barrel-vaulted ceilings and the spiral staircase which once led to the Lantern, originally placed on the roof of the lighthouse keeper’s accommodation. The suites all have a private garden and independent entrance. The largest suite extends over two levels and is characterized by a double view and a panoramic terrace with breathtaking views of the sea, the vineyards, the vegetable gardens and the surrounding gardens.
In the interior design project, from the custom-made furnishings to the choice of local materials, the studio has favoured the sober and functional character of traditional Aeolian architectureThe interiors are dominated by a color palette that recalls the surrounding nature: warm and reassuring earth tones, such as brown, sand, white and beige, combine with touches of sea blue. The micro-cement floors, the white lime walls, the masonry and wood furnishings, the limestone sinks and the handcrafted cement tiles in the bathrooms, made by hand by a historic company in Santa Flavia based on the architects’ designs, define a concept of cultured and unadulterated luxury.
«Finding ourselves in front of such a powerful nature and a place so rich in suggestions, in the interiors we followed a poetics of subtraction. We designed every detail with great care, without adding frills, to define in every room an elegance and essentiality that conveys the idea of a refined and sober luxury: that of time that passes slowly, in the beauty of simple things”, explains architect Floriana Marotta.
The result is a project that manages to connect the place to its authenticity and memory, offering a living experience where discreet luxury blends with the essentiality and beauty of the Aeolian nature.
The valorization of external elements
The Capofaro Lighthouse, overlooking the Aeolian Sea like a natural terrace, continues to watch over sailors with its light and iconic presence. MAB Architettura has undertaken a project to recover and enhance the external spaces, respecting the memory of the place and recognizing itsimportant architectural, historical and landscape valueThe restoration, carried out with a philological approachincluded the structural consolidation of the vaults, the recovery of the deteriorated tuff blocks, the restoration of the frames and thresholds and the remaking of the facade with lime plaster, according to the Aeolian tradition.
The architects created dry stone walls, paths in local volcanic gravel and reeds that discreetly shade the private gardens of the suites. The landscape project, as a whole, has created a small widespread botanical museum which presents the main essences of the Mediterranean scrub and the native species of Salina, including typical plants such as caper, myrtle, lavender and strawberry tree. A small adjacent volume has finally been used as a Micro Museum of Malvasiaa multimedia space that illustrates themes related to the territory and the history of the island.
dove: Capofaro Inn & Malvasia, Salina Island, via Faro 3, Malfa (ME)
Tel. 0909844330
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