La Torre Bianca – Italy

The residence titled ‘La Torre Bianca’, which translates to The White Tower in English, due to its 12-meter-high white tower that overlooks a large courtyard. The villa is located in Gagliano del Capo, in the region of Apulia in south-eastern Italy. The house is located in the regional park that stretches between the rocky Adriatic coast and the white beaches of the Ionian Sea.
Owned and designed by Lorenzo Grifantini, director of London-based firm DOS Architects serving as his family. The home’s interior was designed by Grifantini’s wife, Allegra Figus. Their collaborative vision was to create a tranquil family retreat in Salento, a place the pair are very fond of, in order to escape the hustle and fast pace of life in London.
They discovered the plot of land adjacent to the center of the town, hidden behind the San Rocco church. The contemporary house manages to blend in to the geometry of its surrounding urban context: neighbouring buildings feature flat-roofs, large volumes, and pale colours. Yet the home’s austere exterior does leave an impression due to its staggering 12 meter tall tower painted stark white, that houses the five bedrooms and living spaces.
The central courtyard, is the real heart of the house, a place of conviviality and play. The swimming pool and the carefully selected vegetation reproduce the presence of natural elements. The interplay of light and shadow onto the white surfaces of the volumes produces a dynamic visual backdrop to the life inside the house. Every element of the residence contributes to its cohesive architectural synthesis: the volumes that comprise the home’s structure, the interior furnishings, the pool, and the courtyard, come together to achieve a bright and unique architectural block.