During the Milan Design Week 2023, Le Dimore del Presidente Srl, in collaboration with NCB ARCHITETTURA and NATUZZI CONTRACT, presented the preview of VETERA MATERA, a work in progress of the innovative recovery and conservation project within the Sassi di Matera Heritage in the Barisano district. A visionary concept aimed at promoting new paradigms and values of hospitality, inclusion, and sustainability.
The project is expected to be completed by 2024.
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The recovery and enhancement project of VETERA MATERA encompasses a vast portion of ancient buildings, hypogea, courtyards, and terraces dating from the 14th to the 19th century, located in the heart of the Vetera district within the Sassi of Barisano.
Initiated in 2019 and now in its final phases, this endeavor has been promoted and passionately supported by LE DIMORE DEL PRESIDENTE srl, – MATERA with the aim of breathing new life and energy into a precious and unique context of architecture, signs, and memories.
The evocative location, which vertically spans across 5 levels around a spacious central courtyard – the neighborhood - will feature 23 exclusive suites, a reception area, a restaurant, a large lounge, a SPA, hypogea, gallery, and terrace for special events.
"The focus of NCBARCHITETTURA's intervention was to create a coherent narrative of the space, capable of blending the authenticity of the site – its historical and monumental foundations – with the envisioned new functions of hospitality. The design strategy to merge the existing fabric with the new program of use involved simplifying the architectural language through the restrained use of elements and materials, allowing for a clear interpretation of overlays, additions, and connections made to the pre-existing structures.
The restoration favored conservative techniques from the local tradition, utilizing natural and sustainable materials such as lime plaster, earth, and crushed terracotta for the restoration of plaster sections and the application of new patinas; the use of tuff stone for the reassembly of certain wall portions. New constructive and functional elements were translated with contemporary geometries and references, creating a fluid process of reassembly that remains true to the essence of the location: the teachings of Carlo Scarpa for the Castelvecchio Museum are embedded in the DNA of the studio.
We envisioned spaces and functions open to citizens and international guests, who will be able to cultivate authentic human connections here, immersed in a setting suspended in time yet in dialogue with the reality and future of the city. Because beyond the metaverse and social media platforms, physical space is the only one capable of regenerating our human instinct.
In the interior design, we conceived a system of bespoke furnishings that can adapt to and align with various environmental situations; a program of forms that, in their continuum, creates a strong visual identity that amplifies the sensory and tactile vibrations emitted by the textures embedded by time in the living matter of stone, plaster, and terracotta.
In the execution of the works, sustainable and natural materials and solutions were employed; partners and suppliers were selected from Italian-made brands that share the Studio's vision: STARPOOL, GESSI, GLOBO CERAMICA, TUBES, ANTRAX, OLIVARI, LINEALIGHT, KARPETA, etc.
A special thanks to NATUZZI's TRADE & CONTRACT division for their technical support throughout the development phase of the furnishings and bespoke complements of the VETERA MATERA capsule collection."