The recovery of a farm in Sicily

History and territory

Reconstruct the identity of the place, obscured for too long, restore the complex to its original nature, as it was conceived in 1867, redesign the spaces in harmony with the territory in which they are immersed. Today Masseria Cannamara looks like a private residence born from the skilful and punctual restoration work by the architect Paolo Bignotti.

A complex, scrupulous and respectful project

A complex path that of the project, born from the desire to free the rooms from the "ties" affixed by a previous restoration of about 15 years ago, which had distorted the architectural characteristics. At the base of the intervention, the attention to the original materials and their correct use, the scrupulous work on the sources, the accurate reconstruction of the historical passages and transformations of the building.

A precious piece of stitching

The subtle balance between removing the superfections and the unnecessary frills resulting from the previous intervention was aimed at restoring the full functionality of the rooms and increasing the potential of the structure. A precious mending job that adds value by restoring forgotten details, highlighting fundamental elements for the telling of the story, but also improving the usability of the spaces, the comfort interior, the liveability of the rooms and the overall energy efficiency.

The original local materials and the courtyard configuration

Comiso stone, wood and iron were the three most important materials within the original project and even today they are taken up and enhanced to highlight the harmony with the place and its history. The L-shaped plan of the main body actually describes a courtyard in which a volume intended for the outdoor kitchen and the service spaces for the swimming pool which effectively closes the perimeter.

The completely transparent corridor

In the main body there are the rooms of the manor house while two small volumes placed in the rear part of one of the sides house the room and the bathroom for guests and the gym. The distinctive feature that marks the intervention is the completely transparent corridor that connects the different volumes and flanks the external façade. A glazed diaphragm detached from the structure, a covered connection made with a steel structure that distributes the rooms and mitigates the relationship between built and outdoor space.

The openings as breaches in the wall partition

A great deal of work was carried out on the openings , real breaches opened in the compact wall partition. The intervention involved the replacement of all existing windows with OS275 systems by Secco Sistemi with corten steel finish which integrates perfectly into the project, re-proposing the original mood for doors and windows of iron.

OS275 is a series with minimum thickness that integrates high performance with a refined aesthetic result, determined by the clean design but also by the use of precious materials. The extraordinary qualities of resistance to oxidation and corrosion are combined with the unmistakable patina of corten and the richness of materials in this case of brass, the finish chosen for Masseria Cannamara. Due to its technical and formal characteristics, the OS275 system was also used in the large pivot window with which the corridor ends.

The large sliding openings that mark the development of the covered walkway were created using Secco Sistemi's innovative Zero Gravity system. A advanced technology that eliminates the constraint of motorization and electricity to move large, therefore very heavy, sliding doors. The window is effectively freed from its weight and, slowed down only by the inertia of the mass, it slides silently without effort, amplifying the comfort for the user and facilitating the opening/closing action.