Set In Stone

Built Against a Rock Face on a Forested Piece of Land, It Is This Swiss Villa’s Closeness to Nature That Makes It Such a Success

- Chiara Dal Canto

When you first see the intimidating exterior of this villa in Lugano, Switzerland, it is difficult to imagine what is secreted away behind its high walls. Built on a plot that sits between a road and a formidable rock face, the concrete building seems to hang from the mountainside, and its minimalist geometric facade blends in with its wooded surrounds – so much so that there is no hint as to what lies within.

One of the most notable works of Swiss architect Mario Campi, the villa was originally designed in the mid-1960s for painter Felice Filippini, whose only request was that Campi include a north-facing studio with ample light for the artist’s painting practice. Unfortunately the next tenant – Bulgarian-born French musician Alexis Weissenberg – was not as respectful of Campi’s design, and he transformed the interiors by covering up the ceiling as well as the wooden and concrete walls. Once described by Austrian conductor Herbert von Karajan as ‘one of the best pianists of our time’, it seems that Weissenberg was not as sensitive to design as he was to music.

Several years passed before the villa found new owners, needing a special pair who would be able to see past its existing interiors and appreciate its architecture and unusual location. Happily, François Droulers and Chiara Costacurta were such people, and set to work restoring the building to its former glory.