Terracotta baguette latticework

Archi² (Archisquare) & Jo Coenen JCAU

Graphic, vibrant and airy… The façades of the Parmavera apartment building are distinguished by their elegant projecting cube-shaped overhangs. These disconcertingly light blocks follow a principle of solids and voids in a perfectly regular pattern, to create a bold interpretation of a bow-window, as an ultra-contemporary version of traditional Arabic Moucharaby latticework grills.

Installed in a series of staggered columns, Autan® XL sunscreen baguettes are used here as a powerful form of expression. Chosen for their functional benefits of guaranteeing the residents privacy and protection from the sun, they allowed the designers to give free rein to their creativity. The resulting interplay of light and shadow in which they are bathed throughout the day creates an overall effect of dynamism and movement.

Real little gems of modernity, taken to extremes by the architects, who chose to give them even greater visibility by opting for an Ebony colour. A deep, decidedly on-trend shade that contrasts with the other surfaces of the building, which are all light colours, so these delicately chiselled sections attract the viewer’s eye. The work of a goldsmith for this five-storey building in a former industrial area undergoing redevelopment. A real treat for residents and passers-by alike!

Residence Parmavera buildings S1, Parma, Italy - Archi² (Archisquare) & Jo Coenen JCAU - Autan® XL from TERREAL range