The project by Marcante-Testa in Trieste, inside a building from the early 1900s in the city’s historical center, covered the renovation of an apartment of about 180 square meters, which no longer held any traces of the period of original construction (other than the internal doors). In the project by Marcante-Testa the textile element becomes material for architecture and interior design, with fabric panels to divide the spaces – as in the living area, between the dining and sofa zones –, textile wall “belt” in the bedroom to set the perimeter of the space at different heights, passementerie utilized to cover radiators in the living room, and even fabric doors for the custom cabinets of the dressing room. All the fabrics (including the curtains) have been specifically designed for the project by the textile designer Aleksandra Gaca, in collaboration with the architects, and produced at the Textile Museum of Tilburg (Netherlands).
As always this firm’s attention to detail is extraordinary and despite this being so much more subdued than their typical projects it still allows their architectural details to shine. I especially love their modern take on ceiling cornicing/molding. Photos: Carola Ripamonti.