OSTUNI 2022
Masseria Santa Filomena overlooks the plain of centuries-old olive trees and the sea of the Adriatic coast of the white city of Ostuni from above.The Masseria is imposing with its three floors rising above an underground oil mill where olives were processed and the gold of Puglia, an oil famous worldwide for its unique characteristics, was produced.
Today the Masseria, with the expert restoration work of architects Flore & Venezia, is ready to host lovers of Puglia who wish to immerse themselves in the centuries-old history of a structure completely made of stone and with vaulted roofs of absolute charm.
Therefore, the ground floor of the Masseria today is intended for common spaces: kitchens, dining areas, and a living room that is connected with the eternal with 2 large arched openings that dialogue with a stone fireplace made with salvaged material from the old building. This floor in the past was used for stables and barns, an architecture that is poor but majestic at the same time; the stone vaults, left as they are, stand out from the white lime pillars that support their weight.
The first floor, the manor house has kept the same characteristics as in the past, and now houses 6 suites and after a careful study of the pigments on the walls still presents the same color scheme that gives the space coloring that varies every moment of the day depending on the outside light. The main hall features a loggia with three arches, overlooking the entire valley below with the blue sea as a backdrop to the olive groves.
The interiors are very simple, with few furnishing elements, sometimes salvaged, cleverly in dialogue with the wall structures. Particular attention has been paid to the lighting , never glittering. Few lighting fixtures evoke a past that is projected into the future. Many stone lamps were designed by the architects and customized for them by the company Progetto Arte of Matera. Other fabric lamps feature colors that blend expertly with the colors of the interiors.
The exteriors, the gardens, and the orange grove bordered by tuff walls that protect the plants from the mistral wind, serve as a visual base for the Masseria structure. Dry-stone walls demarcate the paths, and support the jumps in elevation of the land giving rise to terraces. On one of these terraces, a swimming pool with organic shapes unravels among the centuries-old olive trees and merges with the view of a blue sea that it seems almost possible to touch. A backdrop to the pool are large areas covered by slender iron structures under which large white seats with cushions for which natural fabrics in muted colors were used.
All suites have an outdoor area, terrace, or small private garden….for some of them, the project led to the creation of small heated pools for the private use of clients.
Water and green therefore converse enveloped in a unique atmosphere, the true strength of the intervention.
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