A pared-down Palladian villa in Sweden by DinellJohansson

March 2, 2013

Today we have a small vacation house located in the south of Sweden. Working within a tight budget, architects DinellJohansson came up with a plan inspired by the luxurious villas designed by Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio for the Venetian nobility. The architects say that it shares with Palladio’s villas the “idea of summer life as an utterly joyful experience”.

The humble structure at first does not appear to have much else in common with those opulent country houses. The minimalist exterior certainly doesn’t display the classical ornamentation of Palladio’s works. However it does have a cross-shaped floor plan and a prominent central volume flanked by lower symmetrical wings, key distinguishing features of many of Palladio’s villas. And, its white stucco finish references the stuccoed brick construction of the villas Palladio designed for less wealthy clients who could not afford to pay for stone and a small army of stone carvers.

DinellJohansson chose the cross-shape floor plan to satisfy the client’s wish for distinct spaces within the small house. The 57 m² (614 ft²) plan puts the dining area in the center with the entry, a sitting area, the kitchen, and a bedroom arranged around it. The roof rises from the back of the house to the front, making room for a sleeping loft over the entry hall. The bathroom is split in two and tucked behind the kitchen, with one compartment for the toilet and one for the shower.

Befitting a summer vacation house, there are ample connections to the outdoors with six doors leading out. Some of them provide access to the two patios, one in the southeast corner to catch the morning sun and one in the northwest corner to provide shade in the afternoon.

Enjoy the photos and have a great weekend!