projects | Viabizzuno progettiamo la luce

light, a certain kind of light, precise, sharp, full of identity, non-invasive, that special light that, when well chosen and well directed, gives a greater awareness of space, on this occasion has also given us the excitement of seeing and appreciating the accomplished seventeenth / eighteenth century architecture of palazzo candelpergher in rovereto, a building situated at the corner of piazzetta delle ‘oche' at the centre of which stands the 1736 stone fountain of neptune. the restoration of the façades and decorative scheme, recently conducted by the office of architect paolo baldessari, has unearthed some interesting pictorial fragments, the remains of more extensive decoration designed to imitate architectural elements by illusion, such as ashlar, pilasters, capitals and pinnacles. most conspicuous are a flamboyant coat of arms and an elaborate decorative motif with black, grey and white diamonds highlighting the corner of the building, which must undoubtedly have been spectacular originally, due to the presence, in the darkest squares, of small circular convex mirrors the size of a coin that captured and reflected the magical day- and sun-light. the decorative painting scheme is complemented by faux marble pilasters with beaded capitals, framing extensive backgrounds painted to imitate a solid and uniform isodomic wall texture in small terracotta bricks that, with their bright orange colour, must have given the whole composition a unique and distinctive brilliance. after the substantial restoration works to the façades and decoration schemes, more work was subsequently carried out to some representative internal areas of the building under the fortunate and sensitive direction of young architects marc malossini and gianmaria incerti. in particular, the sculpted stucco, delicate rococò decoration of the large noble staircase with the doors opening onto it framed with elegant mixtilinear stone jambs in red or local grey stone and crowned with moulded plaster shell motifs, was consolidated and restored to its ancient splendour. the architectural quality of these spaces, which re-emerged after the careful ‘discialbo ' work of removing later repainting by hand, consolidation of portions of the plaster to re-adhere it to the wall behind, infilling gaps with stucco, lime based colour layering to reduce the irregularity of the fabric and the final revival of the white on white monochrome paint finish, was highlighted with wall mounted clv2 large bi-directional light fittings, while the striking plaster doorway with a pair of cherub console brackets, located between the hallway entrance and the elegant wide staircase, was magnificently enhanced with floor mounted big feet fittings. the lighting of the polychrome reception room on the main floor was assigned to a multiple series of pairs of notte floor lamps, chosen with antique brass finish and ideal for the two different light sources provided, one with upwards diffusion to enhance the colours of the allegorical scenes on the flat-vaulted ceiling and one with a diffuse uniform light that does not affect the pigment colour. the notte fitting proved to be decisive once again for lighting complex environments full of history, as indeed is this room which, although featuring different operational and stylistic techniques (the ceiling frescoes date from the seventeen hundreds, while the walls are nineteenth century tempera), combines a highly original pictorial composition, full of narrative content where, depicted in paintings over the six doors that open onto it, is the set of virtues, with life, vigilance, intelligence and courage, symbolised with the rooster, war and wisdom symbolised with the owl, temperance with wisdom and justice symbolised with books and a lectern, the scales of justice with sceptre and crown, and the arts with the plastic arts and music symbolised with sculpture and still life, lyre and trumpets.