Canadian Grey granite was extensively used for a residential design near Milan
Set among several multi-story buildings just outside of the busy fashion mecca of Milan, Italy, it was important that a single-family residence’s exterior design offer its homeowners privacy. As a result, Canadian Grey granite — supplied by Lombarda Graniti — was chosen for the exterior facade to build somewhat of a fortress to protect it from its towering neighbors. Minimal windows are found, but rather patios that can be opened or closed were built instead — allowing light in a more suitable way to the inner spaces. The Canadian Grey was used in both 12- x 24- and 12- x 36-inch format.
“The Canadian Grey granite covers the entire building to symbolize this idea of protection with the exception of the walls where the volume is subtracted by the gray-plaster-made patios,” said Franco Tagliabue of ifdesign in Milan, Italy. “This way, the building tries to open upward. The stratum of the roof almost folds up; restless to the search of the zenith light in an attitude gestural, producing three fireplaces of light in correspondence of the stay of the kitchen and of the master bedroom. It is a sequence of sections in which the inclinations alternate among them, producing this aspect of ‘wagging’ of the building. The pitch of the roof folds restless in search of the zenithal light in an almost gestural attitude, generating three light stacks in the living room, the kitchen and the meditation room at the end of the house. The pitches of the roof alternate with each other, wiggling the sequence of the lines of the roof section. So in the inner spaces, it emphasizes the value of the light.”