Architecture, theatre, music and illustration in a sophisticated, unique project. In Rome, in the heart of the Appio Latino district a few steps from the Caffarella Park, the Rome-based duo La Macchina Studio has transformed a 1950s apartment into Retroscena, a surreal set where reality and fiction coexist in a quasi-theatrical scene.
In alignment with the wishes of the clients – a young couple – the architects have, on the one hand with the help of local craftsmen, recovered the pre-existing Venetian terrazzo flooring, while on the other they have completely disrupted the internal distribution to give way to a new storytelling.
Kicking off with the insertion of new materials in correspondence with the traces of the original divisions, the living area is defined by a clear band in black and Botticino marble, the area along the corridor takes up the original design of the flooring with a pinkish binder with pozzolan powder, while the bedroom is tinged with the warm nuances of brick red microcement.
As a result, Retroscena is a combination of designs in different grains and colours that creates a “collage” effect, in contrast with the absolute white of the plastered walls.
The apartment reveals itself longitudinally along the main wall, which represents the limit between private and representative space and creates a landscape punctuated by three different elements.
The living room is the largest space in the house: a yellow curtain runs along the demolished partition, outlining the areas and drawing a soft border between the different functions.
A white lacquered bridge wardrobe hides a small study, an intimate, silent space, isolated from the rest of the home, while a grey-blue flush-to-the-wall door that seems drawn on, gives access to the salle de bain covered in white mosaic with contrasting joints, cut by an ogival passage which gives a glimpse the back wall in peacock-colored enamel and the free washbasin standing.
Finally, an arched door in classic blue lacquered wood leads to the sleeping area with clear lines and a welcoming atmosphere: the door, with its wooden profile that juts out 70cm towards the dining room, is the centerpiece of the living area and hides the kitchen furniture from view.
Retroscena offers a playful and fantastic vision of the house, based on bold color choices and savvy design tricks that give personality to the interiors and are the protagonists of a theatrical – and architectural – piéce full of surprises.
