Lo chalet immaginato

Icona imagined and built a chalet on the top floor of a multi-story building in the heart of Champoluc, trasformed into a cozy and intimate wooden nest. The partially lofted double-height penthouse was stripped of its existing cladding and re-lined with the warm, enveloping essence of steamed biolarice, stained and custom-designed with iron brushes to give the wood a rustic, rough-hewn tactility thanks to the expertise of local craftsmen. The existing beams were also treated to give homogeneity to the new cladding. The most noticeable interventions definitely concern the central core of the house, consisting of the living and dining areas that make up the interior staircase. In these communicating rooms, it is possible to perceive the search for rhythm and proportion, played mainly on the relationship between the staircase, the pillars-fifths that separate the kitchen from the living room and the three cozy steps-bench, designed as a comfortable slope on which to climb and gain the framing of the window above, from which to contemplate an unforgettable view of Monte Rosa. As in all of Icona's projects, the attention to detail here is impeccable: playing on a balance that is always very calibrated between different instances, such as the recovery and refitting of old furniture loaded with sentimental value (the kitchen table, the two armchairs) and the custom design of the living spaces, bedrooms, kitchen and bathrooms. The main signature is recognizable in the accentuated vertical scanning and rhythm of the wood finishes. The colors and finishes are pared down and essential and draw on the timeless elegance of mountain dwellings. The involvement of local craftsmen is another ingredient of the mountain spirit that is possible to breathe in every corner of this very interesting imagined chalet. A note of historicity is then bestowed by the presence of two filikli, (ALTAI) which more than rugs are works of art laid on the floor. Their colorations, their weavings (which have always been used by Kurdish and Anatolian nomads as bedding and insulation in the tent) are unique pieces, and they give a character to the dwelling that accompanies that feeling of warmth and passion that are objects made with passion are able to pass on.