A window on the Langhe, Cigliè

The small town of Ciglié is the village chosen by a couple of Rotterdam to get a place in Italy where they could live some months of the year. The 110m2 house is built on a steep slope of 2000 m2. The building appears embedded in the slope of the hill. The volume, closed on three sides, unexpectedly opens out to Mondovì and the Alps. A single large window towards the Langhe, with 9mx3m glass panels and a wide porch, opens from the heart of the house, becoming a magnificent stage for every day. The small architectural structure is fully covered with bricks, 21500, expertly placed by a qualified local bricklayer. A continuous brickwork covers each facade and the sloping pitches of the roof. The chimneys and the big skylight on the roof, appear as architectural “folies”. A wide terrace built with 35 large solid wood logs completes the building. A painted iron portal 4 meters high defines the entrance to the property and, like land art work, frames the Langhe.

What makes this project one-of-a-kind?
A “Window on the Langhe” focuses on the design of a new building on the Langhe hills, a small vacation house, happy result of the collaboration between the Dutch owners, Turin-based architects, municipal administrations and local artisans. A project that leads us to rediscover precious portions of the territory, often ignored.