Francesc Rifé and María José Delgado have chosen Vibia to illuminate a private residence in Uruguay, an oasis of peace and quiet on the Atlantic Ocean at Punta del Este.
Visual calmness, geometric proportion and a special interest in noble materials define the work of Francesc Rifé, who from his studio in Barcelona designs projects of all scales and types such as ‘Joe’s House’ in Punta del Este.
Visual calmness, geometric proportion and a special interest in noble materials define the work of Francesc Rifé, who from his studio in Barcelona designs projects of all scales and types such as ‘Joe’s House’ in Punta del Este.
The house is situated in a unique location with impressive sea views, built in concrete and framed with a natural oak-wood finish, designed by Rifé in collaboration with architect María José Delgado.
‘The desire to escape from the stress of city life and the possibility of telecommuting prompted our clients to look for a house in a peaceful enclave facing the sea.’
‘The desire to escape from the stress of city life and the possibility of telecommuting prompted our clients to look for a house in a peaceful enclave facing the sea’, says Rifé, who highlights how they sought to avoid aesthetic excess and achieve a clean design characterised by a serene atmosphere.
Inside, the enveloping wooden design captures the idea of a refuge, bringing warmth and meaning to the house. Although the swell of the sea and the capriciousness of the natural environment form a sharp contrast with the straight lines of the interior, there is a strong connection between the shade of the sand that defines the views and the lightened natural oak wood.
‘You only had to observe the environment and the impressive sand dunes along the coast to understand the need for light colours and natural materials’, says the designer, for whom the interior had to be in tune with the simplicity of the landscape and also respond to the calmness and warmth that his clients longed for.
Based on the simplicity associated with the new way of living, the house is organised in two clearly differentiated parts: a day area open to the environment and another more exclusive and compartmentalised evening area. The layout of the two parts is different, although both share the same care for materials, colours and lighting to which Vibia has contributed.
‘Our idea was to create a unique and emotional environment’, declares Rifé, who has transformed the hall into a welcoming stage for a pair of Ghost lamps designed by Arik Levy. Like two luminous presences constructed from stacked volumes of mouth-blown triplex glass, the ethereal and sensuous quality of these lamps brings a playful touch to the more geometric and textural backdrop of the enveloping wooden layer.
A contemporary reinterpretation of the lamps traditionally adorning entrances and lounges, Ghost’s luminosity can be manually adjusted by means of the black ring that unites the two pieces. The fixture’s characteristic amber-coloured diffusers provide a sense of warmth; when switched on, the two luminaries shine so brightly that they resemble a luminous living sculpture, offering a range of ambiences according to their intensity.
The hall grants access to the day area, where an open-plan kitchen is integrated into the dining-living room, and separated from a studio by a large sliding glass door. Over the dining table hang two Flamingo lamps by Antoni Arola, which, like two lightweight birds, seem to hover above the landscape that can be glimpsed through a glass door that opens onto the terrace.
‘The Flamingo lamps bring the poetry of Antoni Arola’s work to the open area, their simple lines and soft light radiating calmness throughout the home.’
The ambient light of the diffusers combined with the direct light of the LEDs is at once aesthetic and functional.
Credits:
– Architect: Francesc Rifé y Maria José Delgado
– Photography: Javier Márquez
