Villa Medici, Rome | Italy

In the middle of the historic centre of Rome and at the same time remote from the city hustle and bustle, a place of retreat for contemporary work and life has been created with the Villa Medici. As the headquarters of the French Academy in Rome, the villa has offered space for artistic research and interdisciplinary exchange for hundreds of years.

Isola is the result of a spatial reinterpretation and offers artists a flexible setting where work, daily life and interaction are combined with each other.

In the centre of the space there is a solid table completely in wood which structures the daily routine. Thoughts, talks, drawings and mealtimes originate here. A surrounding bench following the lines of the stairs creates peaceful zones for lingering. The materials used link to the materials in the structure of the villa: plaster, wood and terracotta pick up the existing architecture and lend the space a grounded clarity. Large windows open up the view into the garden on one side and over the city rooftops on the other. The design remains consciously restrained and makes individual appropriation possible. Switches and sockets from the LS 990 design range in white integrate seamlessly into this scene. With its clear design language and precise finish, they underline the timelessness and craft character of the space.