Restoration of the Belvedere floor, Villa Reale in Monza

As the name itself suggests, Villa Reale in Monza is not a palazzo but a villa. The difference may seem a subtle one, but it describes the sense of this dwelling, used as an alternative residence. It is an enormous building that reveals the desire for a royal house to be imposed upon the local aristocracy. It is from this perspective that the formal, architectural and decorative choices that characterise it must be interpreted, with which today's restoration is in dialogue. The building has been consolidated, made safe and reconstructed where necessary as regards both the constructed parts and the decorative apparatus. The attic floor has also been affected by the upgrading and conservative restoration work. This floor is known by the sumptuous terms the Belvedere Floor and, although it may appear to be the humblest and most unfavourable, that occupied by the domestic staff and servants, in reality it is a very impactful space. The name Belvedere derives from the views of the park...

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As the name itself suggests, Villa Reale in Monza is not a palazzo but a villa. The difference may seem a subtle one, but it describes the sense of this dwelling, used as an alternative residence. It is an enormous building that reveals the desire for a royal house to be imposed upon the local aristocracy. It is from this perspective that the formal, architectural and decorative choices that characterise it must be interpreted, with which today’s restoration is in dialogue. The building has been consolidated, made safe and reconstructed where necessary as regards both the constructed parts and the decorative apparatus. The attic floor has also been affected by the upgrading and conservative restoration work. This floor is known by the sumptuous terms the Belvedere Floor and, although it may appear to be the humblest and most unfavourable, that occupied by the domestic staff and servants, in reality it is a very impactful space. The name Belvedere derives from the views of the park that are enjoyed from high up in the central volume at the very centre of the building, above the stairway and the large entrance rooms. The rooms, corridors, corner spaces and residual areas have been left as open as possible and everything is visible: the wooden trusses of large dimensions by Piermarini, the wooden structures remaining from the ancient layout designs, now lost, the steel pipes of the installations, the graffiti left on the walls at the time of the Biennial of decorative arts and by the Istrian families who occupied Villa Reale during its years of abandonment. Completing the intervention is the making good of the flooring with oak heartwood slats, while the use of cocciopesto in the main hall gives the environment a different, more imposing character. These are ideal spaces for art exhibitions in accordance with the most up-to-date tendencies of presentation.

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Area

Architecture

Year

2013-2014

Location

Monza, Italia

Field

Renovations

Size

2400 Square meters

Client

Nuova Villa Reale

Phase

Completed

  • Humanistic Architecture and Design
  • Humanistic Architecture and Design
  • Humanistic Architecture and Design
  • Humanistic Architecture and Design
  • Humanistic Architecture and Design

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