LA CIPRESSA · Italia

The invisible hand of nature gives the trulli a new lease of life

The architecture firm Flore & Venezia has chosen the Fir Italia taps and mixers for the bathrooms of “La Cipressa”, a completely renovated trulli complex thanks to the synergies between nature and architecture.

There is something of unmistakably architectural in the trulli of Apulia, in their geometric and intentionally flaunted verticality. It’s as if, over the centuries, the work of man had foreshadowed the trends and languages of modern architecture, with its understated and essential, always elegant lines.

The Apulian architects Aldo Flore and Rosanna Venezia are perfectly aware of all that – their firm has recently revitalised a complex of trulli located in the Ostuni hills, near Brindisi, in a dreamy landscape where time itself seems to have stopped. The renovation project has thus given rise to “La Cipressa”, in which modernity and tradition continue meeting and merging seamlessly.

For this project, the architecture firm has chosen the Canterbury 30 collection of taps and mixers by the Novara brand Fir Italia. The style of this collection is unabashedly British, with its essential shapes brimming with references to Old England design. The typically English design of the taps and mixers and the rusty appearance of the material, in a setting filled with tradition such as “La Cipressa”, contribute to making the rooms even cosier, enriching them with a touch of warmth and timeless elegance.

The Fir Italia items for the “La Cipressa” trulli have been custom made for this project, indeed the taps and mixers have been left “natural”, with the natural look of untreated and unfinished brass: this oxidised appearance was firmly demanded by the clients because it perfectly suits the general idea underlining the overall design, which was inspired by Nature.

The choice by the two Apulian architects was certainly far from random: Since 1957, in fact, Fir Italia has been offering designer taps and mixers inspired by the world of architecture as well as the natural world. “La Cipressa” is set in a landscape, nestled among ancient olive groves, where the refined lines of the Canterbury 30 collection seem to pleasingly echo the elements of nature, charmingly fitting in the surrounding environment.

When building the trulli, the local farmers were also strongly influenced and inspired by the elements of Nature – such as sun, wind, water – guiding exposure, ventilation and rainwater collection. Also guided by Nature, architects Flore and Venezia would later be inspired by the same invisible hand, and opting for Fir Italia and one of its most iconic collections was the most natural choice.

During the redevelopment, the Apulian firm used traditional materials from the area, such as chianca stone, resin, iron or finished tuff stone, restoring the trulli to their original and glorious life. The essentiality of iron thus combines with the blinding white of the trulli, giving rise to subtle contrasts. Antique items found on site were also used for the furnishings, preserving the bond of the entire complex with the rich tradition of its past.