PB studio
An old barn in the Italian countryside becomes a professional workspace for a photographer.
This is a place of many stories. The story of an inner territory between a middle city and a river, a story about agriculture and handwork, but, mainly, this is the story of a family. A family whose work, life and past are strongly bonded with those bricks buildings. Today, they decide to begin a new cycle and provide new sense and life to these particular spaces transforming the former barn in a professional workspace for a photographer.
This is a project based on a mix between memory and new, tradition and contemporary, which aims to point out the peculiarities of the original building. The intervention aims to maximize the existing space: a vast area (7,00 mt width, 21,00 mt length) conceived as the starting point for a complete conversion.
The initial idea was to keep the uniqueness of the internal space only adding some basic devices for the studio: a ‘box’ for the private office of the owner, the ordinaries facilities (a little kitchen and a bathroom), an entrance in the middle as reception area and waiting room and, finally, a ‘as large as possible’ cyclorama.
All these spaces require autonomy and flexibility, structure and character, but have to combine their manners with the strong nature of the old artefact.
The choice was to maintain everything that was already there exactly the way it was. We worked on the spatiality to create a sense of clarity and functionality. We want a continuous and almost boundless space, a shifting and fluid studio able to change according to different activities and needs (photoshoots, workshops, lessons, parties and so on).
Technically speaking, we adapt the roof whit an appropriate thermal insulation system, close the big six arched openings with glass windows and provide the studio with an underfloor heating and an air cooling system. We create a new opening in the north blank wall to allow the view of the cultivated fields.
All the added materials were chosen with a specific purpose. The office box is composed by polycarbonate panels giving a sense of intimacy and lightness. The library and the kitchen are totally be spoken with blue-green laminated panels contrasting the red brick of the existing walls.
An important piece of the project is the external stair that connects the ground floor with the office level. It is totally realized in galvanized iron and the general design is inspired by the forms and the equipment derived from the agricultural context.
