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Fabrizio Ciccone
After living for several years in a stylish but unassuming penthouse in central Bologna, Italy, architect Laura Gasparini and her family yearned for one with more space and character s home. Their 1,600-square-foot apartment was adequate for daily living, but Gasparini said she, her husband, Maurizio, and son, Rocco, “needed more space and a more exclusive house to accommodate guest.”
Although Gasparini’s work is decidedly contemporary, she has always been attracted to ancient architecture. So when she and Maurizio began researching properties around Bologna, historic homes were at the top of the list. “I like modern buildings, but they have to be special,” she explains. “They don’t always convey the same emotion as the historical figures.”
After looking at some options, Gasparini was struck by the quiet grandeur of the building that would become her family’s home. Located in the city’s Santo Stefano district (an elegant residential area southeast of Bologna’s city center), this former convent dates back to the 1300s. The building, characteristic of many of the neighborhood’s buildings named after nearby cathedrals, has undergone a series of renovations and reuses over the years, including in the 1960s and 1970s when it was used as a shared gymnasium for a number of local schools .
The building’s crumbling bricks and flimsy structural elements have clearly seen seven centuries of wear and tear, and are generally outdated, making it incompatible with modern life. While other buyers might shy away from such a large and complex project, the Gasparinis saw an opportunity.
“We were fascinated by the majestic space and the Gothic decoration of the facade,” she said.
But all this potential comes with limitations. “In Italy, when you make changes [to] A historic building, this meant that every small intervention, whether internal or external, had to be analyzed by a special committee,” explained the designers. “These rules obviously become constraints on intervention, but they help preserve the beauty of these buildings.”
Gasparini is happy with the restrictions. “We understood that my design, while contemporary and suitable for family life, had to aim for the utmost respect [building’s] Architecture and history,” she said.
Conservation laws required her to retain as much of the original structure as possible, including its footprint and facade, meaning she could not expand. Fortunately, at 5,400 square feet, the building is big enough for her family’s needs and has plenty of room for entertaining. There are many original details to celebrate, including large 14th-century windows, 26-foot-high ceilings and dramatic interior arches, elements that inspired her to pursue a specific aesthetic direction. “I want a Gothic loft,” she said. “I wanted to create a stage setting with visible parts that would blend historical architecture with contemporary taste without difficulty.”
Gasparini arranged the C-shaped layout so that most of its private spaces (the master suite, guest suite and her office) are located near the entrance. This means that those invited into the common areas at the rear of the house can look in one direction and enjoy views of the house’s internal courtyard, then turn around and see the tree-lined courtyard.
I love modern buildings, but they have to be special. They don’t always convey the same emotions as historical figures.
To create these sight lines and reveal the original windows, which stretched from the floor to almost the top of the soaring ceiling, Gasparini removed several walls. “I didn’t want distractions or obstructions that would block a clear view from the entrance to the last branch of the garden,” she said.
She painted the remaining walls and installed polished Brazilian slate floors throughout. The neutral, earthy tones of these materials add to the sense of space without being distracting, and provide a unifying backdrop for furniture and art.
The entrance hall is one of the oldest parts of the house, Gasparini said, and an antique iron door salvaged from an Italian country house serves as a gateway between the front hall and the long hallway that leads to the living room. “The idea it gave me,” she explains, “was to expect to find something fairytale-like inside.”
The space opens onto a central corridor with views of the courtyard. Palm trees are planted here to “remember the past” Riaz Marrakech,” said the architect. The living room’s decor is designed for lounging, with two large, low sofas facing a coffee table clad in black leather (all designed by Gasparini). “The furniture is characterized by geometric, linear shapes,” she said. “The works are designed on a larger scale than usual to accommodate the building’s massive volume.”
New items are balanced with vintage pieces, including a classical-style head sculpture and a pair of Ethiopian curved-back chairs purchased in Paris. Across from the main seating area is an original glass and metal table designed by Warren Platner for Knoll, and four matching chairs upholstered in rich eggplant-colored velvet. “These are the few pieces that I didn’t design,” Gasparini said. “I have always been into design icons and Nordic design from the 30s to 50s is my passion.” Since Gasparini wanted to focus on the original grand architectural details, all the furniture in the main areas of the home was The height limit is 31 inches. The only element competing with the windows is the stunning spiral staircase made of micro-perforated metal panels, which leads to Rocco’s mezzanine bedroom and bathroom.
Even the newly constructed spaces reference the city’s cultural history. In the galley-like kitchen, a barrel-vaulted ceiling subtly echoes the porticoes of many of Bologna’s buildings, so architecturally important that the United Nations added all 35 of its miles to the World Heritage map in 2021. Wooden cabinets painted matte black are topped with stainless steel counters, and Gasparini commissioned a large beech table as a gathering place where the family can enjoy casual meals on three classic Carl Hansen & Søn CH24 Wishbone chairs point. French doors at one end lead to a lush garden filled with jasmine flowers, with a bamboo wall bordering the courtyard for privacy. “Having a small garden in the city center is a dream and something hard to find,” Gasparini said.
The bedrooms continue the home’s moody elegance, with gray tones, layered textiles and long rows of dark linen curtains bringing softness to the plaster walls and angular furniture. In Rocco’s suite, a trough-style sink made of polished stone sits on a rectangular iron base. Paired with a simple wall-mounted Vola faucet, it showcases Gasparini’s attention to detail and ability to combine materials in a thoughtful way that is still eye-catching.
Elsewhere, art and antiques are mixed with contemporary furniture (bespoke and off-the-shelf), creating, as the designers describe it, an “eclectic atmosphere where multiple themes and materials come together.” Gasparini admits that although the construction phase is complete, the house is still a bit like a laboratory for her design work, “constantly evolving.” But even when she changes furniture or experiments with color combinations, she never forgets what first attracted her to the building. “My favorite spot is the corner at the end of the black sofa in the living room,” she said. “At night, this position offers the most exciting view of the house, as it allows me to see the entire room up to the entrance, the illuminated garden and the building’s ancient facade.”
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