Aptly named “Tiny Grandeur,” a Genoa apartment by llabb makes the most of a small space while celebrating its luxurious, vibrant context. The 60-square-metre interior resides in a palazzo that overlooks the Piazza di San Giorgio. And while its proportions are humble, the home benefits from the rich architectural details — including ceiling frescoes and moulds, terrazzo flooring and generous windows — that the designers have preserved in their update. The firm, led by couple Luca Scardulla and Federico Robbiano, began as a carpentry studio and its custom solutions throughout this tiny gem speak of a deep appreciation for craftsmanship.
Llabb’s renovation of the Genoa apartment began with the opening up of the warren-like space, which consisted of three windowed rooms, a bathroom and an attic accessed via a staircase. The first thing the architects did was to demolish the attic and internal partitions. Instantly, the condition was ameliorated: With the attic gone, the interior’s height soared to 4.7 metres and a window that had been walled up was now revealed – and so was its view to the ancient market square.
Next came the incorporation of ingenious space-maximizing solutions. The client couple — a digital and comms strategist and a photography festival curator — needed ample space to store their books, catalogues and artworks but they also wanted a place where friends could feel welcome.
The architects organized the private zone of bedroom, pantry and bathroom near the entry, where the hallway is a compressed corridor that you traverse to reach the capacious heart of the apartment. On this end of the interior, the open kitchen, dining and living area benefits from the abundant sunlight that streams in through four large windows, measuring four metres high, two of which face the dome of the Church of San Giorgio.
The kitchen cabinetry is integrated into a wall library equipped with a track ladder. This is just one of the great ideas in this compact interior. Another is what the architects call a custom-made, multifaceted “spatial device.” Its main function is to serve as a staircase to the mezzanine, but it also integrates storage for the main-level bedroom and its opaline glass screen brings borrowed light into that same space. It also provides a perch for the living room sofa. It’s accented by a light white tubular handrail that introduces an elegant geometric flourish of its own.
Situated where the attic once was, the mezzanine is lined in okoumé plywood – the same finish as the bookcase. It contains a workspace and, just beyond, a futon for guests. A curved volume, it echoes the contours of the bathroom just below it, where light filters through a vertical glass insert with slate mullions that makes the small space feel airy.
Throughout the Genoa apartment by llabb, the original terrazzo floor knits together a space that combines old and new. Terrazzo is ubiquitous in Italy and considered a humble material; in this home, it’s hardworking and practical. And as the architects say, “Though it’s not particularly ornate, it serves as a testament to the architectural history of the Liguria region.” The firm also preserved the decorative stuccoes on the ceiling, which date back to the early 20th century.
And here, they injected a dose of humour. Where there was a missing corner stucco, they replicated the original style but put a contemporary spin on it. Using 3D printing it, they integrated a Lego-like figurine into their version — “an amusing Easter egg,” they say, that “reflects the playful nature of the studio and its clients.” Tiny Grandeur, indeed.
Designed by the young firm llabb, the residence is in a grand palazzo — but its humble size required ingenious space-saving solutions.