Luca Aureggi, Maurizio Condoluci, Laura Franceschini of Westway Architects, through the story of the renovation of a former warehouse of 500 square meters now became the headquarters of their studio in Rome, in the lively district of San Lorenzo, tell us about their approach to the world of design.
"Westway becomes a real guideline and the main feature of our profession: that is to always have a look that examines with curiosity and questions the world around us. After the first experience in New York, we resumed the way of the West! We purposely don’t have to be referential and present ourselves as a studio that works by integrating their respective competences," underlines Westway Architects.
Every project by Westway Architects is a starting point to listen to the traces of the place as a stimulus to formulate a thought and find solutions that project themselves with value into the future. Never standardized solutions linked by a coherent design philosophy - which always aims at dialogue with other skills amplifying the professionalism of all; "When we saw the property for the first time, it seemed to us first of all an iconic image of the house, the one that we all designed as children: this being able to express and represent one of the fundamental images of living was the first thought that attracted us. Changing after fifteen years spent in a very fascinating studio next to Palazzo Sacchetti, in Via Giulia, and we were looking for a different space less closed and bounded as it often happens in historic buildings. As soon as we saw this space it seemed immediately interesting, even if inside there were heaps of rubble crossed by a wonderful Caravaggio light: it seemed to us more than a traditional studio, a sort of laboratory. However, the transformation effort has been important."underlines Luca Aureggi.
Located in the heart of the vibrant San Lorenzo district, this space was initially created as a laboratory and after some changes - such as the roof that partly becomes a skylight - has been transformed into a modern industrial-style loft."You don’t 'get' to San Lorenzo, but you really have the clear perception of "entrance". San Lorenzo is limited by the tracks of Termini station, which constitute a real restriction, a border note. Arriving, instead, from Porta Pia, follow Viale Pretoriano and enter San Lorenzo through the arches practiced on the Aurelian walls. Here, too, we enter. And there are the Aurelian walls to remind us of the border, the edge. This nature of place to enter, therefore, is strongly induced by the presence of real "edges" that surround this extraordinary piece of city, as if to enucleate it, to make it, that is, a 'village' in itself", points out Maurizio Condoluci.
"Reti 15 was born in what was a department store and a laboratory. The project has preserved the soul of the original building modifying only some elements, in particular the roof, which becomes the main source of light for the spaces below, a diffused natural light that floods every room. The two heads of the building tell the relationship with the city: the roof disappears, and the sky of Rome enters the building. When we did the transformation project, we thought of creating two voids that would allow light to enter. We limited them with two glass facades. We created a double filter on the two short sides, with a small outdoor garden - in addition to the facade on the street - that made it possible to soundproof the environment. Incredible was the amazement of seeing, unexpected but extraordinarily and fundamental today, that in the first glass facade facing Via dei Reti the entire building fronts standing there mirrored. In essence, it seems that the materialization of an imaginative approach in which the city projects itself within the studio in an inclusive way. The image of the city and the image of the studio with its depth are mixed in an indecipherable, dreamlike, and unexpected real photomontage that does not allow to distinguish the real from the projected, as if there were already an indissoluble definite conjunction between them. This project within, reflecting itself, can be considered the emblem of a relationship that we would like to osmotic and inclusive, offering the neighbourhood our ability to read and transform", says Laura Franceschini.
Today a portion of Reti 15 becomes Officina Retiquindici, a creative environment and a versatile location for corporate events, art, private parties, exhibitions, fashion shows, workshops and much more. It extendstwo rooms, one larger than 123sqm and the other of 80sqm, more intimate, ideal for private events. Both rooms, industrial and modern design, are free from architectural barriers and equipped with internet connection.
The care of the traces of the place that bring the pre-existence to the present are also found in the main projects carried out by Westway Architects: the Cantina Santa Margherita in Portogruaro, the building in Viale Monte Grappa in Milan, the Villino headquarters of Italiana Costruzioni and recent projects in Ethiopia."For the production complex of Cantina Santa Margherita what we managed to create truly a cohesive space. The context was well defined and complex with functions, paths and flows that a large company needs and that never stopped. Respecting those needs, we re-read the space and transformed what was once a workplace into a place of identity for the company and its operators", explain the architects.
A real design challenge was the renovation of the Villino of the early twentieth century on the site of a Roman domus to transform it into an institutional headquarters of Italiana Costruzioni in Rome. "Digging and finding the Roman domus has created a connection with the past and the possibility of transforming that past in the future. This has generated a search always aimed at returning those spaces to everyday life, to make them visible respecting them in all their infinite value."
The Milan building in Viale Monte Grappa was a great opportunity for the Westways to tell their idea of contemporary living and ability to transform an existing building into a contemporary and functional one. "Guided by the history of Milanese residential construction, in the organization of the houses and in the construction of large private terraces, we followed the style and characteristics of the ancient balcony buildings that designed the city of Milan."
The projects in Ethiopia for Westways were a moment of great reflection, both when they are located within the city of Addis Ababa, as the Headquarters of BGI, also due to the location in areas not yet urbanized with a lush nature that dominates the landscape and that imposes its rules. "For the BGI Headquarters we followed the area, deformed the raid of the metro station and the new building became a real urban front, technologically advanced by the standards of the city. We have positioned ourselves as a true landmark in the center of Addis creating a new vision for the urban development of the city."
For the new accommodation facilities under construction in Ethiopia, creating a sustainable, resilient, and absolutely integrated project with the context was the input that guided the entire design phase. "Impact as little as possible so as not to leave our imprint or our graphic mark on the ground, but creating structures that people can recognize andthat reflects tradition," say the Westway.
Team:
Architect: Westway Architects - Laura Franceschini, Luca Aureggi, Maurizio Condoluci
Photo credits: Giulio Riotta, Paolo Fusco
