Bianchi House in Riva San Vitale

Mario Botta – Bianchi House in Riva San Vitale, Ticino, Switzerland, 1972-1973

This single-family house is located at the foot of Mount San Giorgio, on the shores of Lake Lugano. The house establishes a dialectical game with the environment, emphasized by its minimal occupation of the site and the thin metal bridge that establishes the physical relationship between the house and the mountain. The "tower", virtually defined by four angular pillars and sculpted with geometric cuts through which light penetrates, is organized along the vertical axis in a succession of different architectural situations and rhythms. The spatial interpenetration between inside and outside thus creates a "filter area", the terraces within the perimeter in its functional organization: the upper part houses the entrance hall, a study and the stairs leading to the lower floors . These levels are partially open and in communication with the living and dining area below, while the services are located in the basement.