When human beings first began to retreat into caves to shield themselves from cold, heat, and wild beasts—refusing to become prey—that was the day architecture was born.
The Casa nel Cielo project draws on that primordial longing for protection and translates it into built form.
The living area, framed by two large glazed openings overlooking the terrace, heightens this perception of shelter and openness, creating the subtle sensation of brushing against the sky.
Within this space, plants grow with a quiet, rebellious freedom, just as they would inside a cave. Meanwhile, ancient cave paintings are reimagined through a contemporary, graphic lens that transforms our archive photographs: in this case, Michelangelo’s David. Through a play of pixelation and soft focus, the figure loses definition along its edges, much like time itself erodes and dematerialises the outlines of an ancient mark on stone.
A generously proportioned sofa here fulfils a dual purpose: it is a place for rest and reading, but also for true repose, its ample dimensions approaching those of a bed.
In this project—within a world that grows ever more complex and sophisticated—the notion of luxury living becomes synonymous with comfort, warmth, and a deeply human refinement.
The colours of the photographic reproduction, printed on simple paper and fixed to the wall only along its upper edge, leave the sheet free to move lightly behind the sofa, almost suggesting a delicate sense of precariousness. Its tones echo those of the home: the wood, the sky, the ceiling, the furnishings.
The room fills with signs and sensations, with flowers, objects, and unexpected details.
Zanotta’s Piano Alto sofa dominates the living space as its true protagonist, while the table—designed specifically for this home and crafted in iron and copper—serves both as a desk and a dining table. From the ceiling descend lights, floating orchids, and sculptural wooden objects, completing the choreography of this aerial dwelling.
