Casa Lapo | florent lesaulnier architectes

Casa Lapo is a project by Florent Lesaulnier, a young French architect, imagined for and ispired by Lapo Elkann, an Italian industrial creator. The Casa Lapo project is a dream come true.  A project appeared to me while reading an interview of Lapo Elkann in the NY Times. I had never heard of Lapo Elkann at the time but I always had a great love for Italy and particularly Turin, even if I was never able to explain why, besides being the capital of Baroque and Carlo Mollino’s home, as well as headquarters of the Fiat empire, of national and international fame. Like some character straight from adventure novels, multilingual (including French), his constant travelling, unlimited curiosity and multiple inspirations, Lapo Elkann’s words guided me.  An unfathomable hybrid personality, frequently making headlines in the Italian press, he is never where you expect him.  It is not so much his public persona that interested me but rather his approach.  Interested in everything, Lapo Elkann, mixes genres and periods through his artistic production.  He created a line of clothing as well as an artistic consulting firm for a wide spectrum of specializations: fashion, event planning, design, architecture, automobile industry etc … The mixing of disciplines, materials and colours are his trademark.  A global artist, pressed for time, driven, anxious to understand, to assemble, to visit and revisit products, places and spaces.  His creative energy is even expressed through his look. All of it seemed so familiar without my knowing why.  My reaction was not so much fascination but rather curiosity, and once I reached the end of the interview, the project was fixed.  It was incredible. A first time experience. The project The structure is the most important element because it supports the whole. Metal beams form the floor and roof which are supported by lateral metal porticos placed every six meters. This leaves an open space of 370 m² without intermediate support points offering an infinite choice of spatial organization.  Fluids and girdles, the house’s nervous system, pass within these structural elements: domotic, electrical and sound systems, computer and video cabling, ventilation, air conditioning and lighting.  These installations in floor, walls and ceilings ensure any type of atmosphere anywhere in the house. Luxury materials are required for the interior spaces.