design et al are delighted to announce that Mercurio Design Lab S.r.l have been shortlisted for Luxury Residence – Asia Pacific Award within The International Design and Architecture Awards 2018.
The strong façade of Villa Vento (‘wind’ in Italian), exudes power. It was inspired by the iconic C42 cabin cruiser, and thus conjures the image of a boat driving on water. There are glazed pearl white walls with a metallic tinge that replicate a hull. Structural elements were assembled with an orthogonal ground floor framework thrusting towards the canal. The upper level, meanwhile, boasts of a vaulted roof.
One likewise goes through a staged arrival sequence where first, a moat must be crossed. Inside are elements with timber and rounded forms (consistent even up to the planter boxes), as well as travertine, which alludes to the continuous surfaces of boat interiors. A bespoke sculpture, that of a whirlwind in a small fountain, harks to feng shui. In here, there are no rooms but cabins: two guest rooms, for example hold small, rounded, forward-slanting windows and cozy intimate bathrooms. Meanwhile, the upstairs entertainment space resembles a grand stateroom, with glass walls thrusting outwards (as on a cruise ship) and an extensive deck. There are, of course, a pool, jacuzzi, and a private pontoon on the canal.
Villa Vento is one of two adjacent bungalows designed for the same client on Sentosa Island, reflecting a period when Massimo Mercurio designed buildings with some affiliation with objects. This time, it references the sea, and succeeds in making spectators experience not just wind on their face or sea salt on their lips, but moreover, into the soul, the healing power of the infinite ocean.
Consistency is one of the most important rules obeyed by designer who requested to lead the way from the master planning all the way to the selection of the artworks and loose ornaments, a very distinct approach for a designer to design every parts of a house, including architecture, interiors, artworks and landscape. The villa showcases the dynamism of architecture, where a designer can strategize the way you can position elements for static object to resemble movement.