A "Florentine" villa
House for Anala and Armando Planchart in Caracas
Gio Ponti Ponti in the Studio Ponti Fornaroli Rosselli
The captions under the very meticulous photographs by Paolo Gasparini can help us understand the characteristics of this structure dedicated to Anala and Armando Planchart much better than any separate text. It is located in Caracas, on top of a cerro (hill) that overlooks the heights from which you can view the city in a marvelous perspective (Caracas stretches out into a valley that runs between the higher slopes of the El Avila mountains on the one hand and these softer hills on the other). Paolo Gasparini worked not only as the expert photographer that he is in this difficult field of architectural photography but also as a connoisseur of architecture (without which it would be impossible to photograph it). He has photographically rendered this complex in the best way possible, as it is difficult to reproduce because each space opens on many sides to other spaces, leading to a series of changing architectural events, composed and integrated with one another, with crossed and crossing views, transverses, sequences, from top to bottom and vice versa; with level changes and transparencies, composing planes and spaces in a game with no interruptions, in which new perspectives always appear and are framed as the visitor moves through it.
![It can be observed in these photographs of the exterior how the facade walls – supported walls– appear separated at their edges and do not meet at their corners to form a closed and full volume. This is because the wall - which is no longer bearing but is only a screen supported by the structure - must not have 'weight' even visually and this is demonstrated by its thin edges. These facade walls are also separated from the roof, whose broad, thin wing gutter seems to be continuation of the living-room ceiling. This roof is like a large wing resting on the house to protect it. The exterior walls, and the wing’s underside are clad in white ceramic mosaic by Joo Ceramica It can be observed in these photographs of the exterior how the facade walls – supported walls– appear separated at their edges and do not meet at their corners to form a closed and full volume. This is because the wall - which is no longer bearing but is only a screen supported by the structure - must not have 'weight' even visually and this is demonstrated by its thin edges. These facade walls are also separated from the roof, whose broad, thin wing gutter seems to be continuation of the living-room ceiling. This roof is like a large wing resting on the house to protect it. The exterior walls, and the wing’s underside are clad in white ceramic mosaic by Joo Ceramica](/content/dam/domusweb/en/from-the-archive/2011/02/02/villa-planchart-caracas-1953-57/big_322358_9732_356.jpg.foto.rmedium.jpg)
I must say that this was a very pleasant task because the requests were always intelligent, clear, discrete, made with trusting friendship by the unmatched individuals to whom I dedicated this work. Vitruvius said that the client is the father of architecture and that its mother is the architect. The clients in Caracas were exemplary parents, and not so much because of the great generosity of means that they devoted to their home, but because of the human sympathy, rare discretion, understanding and trust that accompanied the architect's work, multiplying his efforts.
![The appearance of the entry. A wing with its large cantilever shades the outdoor car park The appearance of the entry. A wing with its large cantilever shades the outdoor car park](/content/dam/domusweb/en/from-the-archive/2011/02/02/villa-planchart-caracas-1953-57/big_322358_6379_439.jpg.foto.rmedium.jpg)
The client – as my friend Rogers says – is the person without whom we cannot make architecture, but also the person with whom we cannot make it just the same
![Left:The natural environment in which the house stands is on top of a <i>‘cerrito’</i> (a small hill). On the <i>‘cerrito’</i> around the house, the garden was not designed but created with a wonderful collection of trees and tropical flowers chosen by the clients themselves who have a great love for these things and are very knowledgeable about them. Right: the facade towards Caracas Left:The natural environment in which the house stands is on top of a <i>‘cerrito’</i> (a small hill). On the <i>‘cerrito’</i> around the house, the garden was not designed but created with a wonderful collection of trees and tropical flowers chosen by the clients themselves who have a great love for these things and are very knowledgeable about them. Right: the facade towards Caracas](/content/dam/domusweb/en/from-the-archive/2011/02/02/villa-planchart-caracas-1953-57/big_322358_6699_1%20copia1.jpg.foto.rmedium.jpg)
No other influence that was not my most absolute and free personal expression and adherence to exclusively modern principles and experience existed for me when I faced this project: none. In it, I was allowed to carry out this desired expression fully: to follow those principles - the expression of the "supported wall," of a "lantern architecture" and so forth - meaning such thinking that constitutes my belief in modern architecture; outside of, and beyond, any 'nationalistic' or environmental expression.
![The open staircase as seen from the living room The open staircase as seen from the living room](/content/dam/domusweb/en/from-the-archive/2011/02/02/villa-planchart-caracas-1953-57/big_322358_8868_528.jpg.foto.rmedium.jpg)
![The interior staircase located between the living-room and the patio. The ceramic cladding of the patio penetrates into the staircase space. The two ceramic statues are by Fausto Melotti The interior staircase located between the living-room and the patio. The ceramic cladding of the patio penetrates into the staircase space. The two ceramic statues are by Fausto Melotti](/content/dam/domusweb/en/from-the-archive/2011/02/02/villa-planchart-caracas-1953-57/big_322358_4208_621.jpg.foto.rmedium.jpg)
![The patio from the living room window. The patio walls are faced with a background 'texture' in elements of walled tiles. In front of them, detached from the wall, are thin ceramic shapes of different designs (a kind of fantastic abstract climbing vegetation). The ceramics are by Fausto Melotti
The patio from the living room window. The patio walls are faced with a background 'texture' in elements of walled tiles. In front of them, detached from the wall, are thin ceramic shapes of different designs (a kind of fantastic abstract climbing vegetation). The ceramics are by Fausto Melotti](/content/dam/domusweb/en/from-the-archive/2011/02/02/villa-planchart-caracas-1953-57/big_322358_7602_87.jpg.foto.rmedium.jpg)
![Upstairs, the guest room: from here there is a deep perspective view (one of the seven perspective views crossing the body of the house that were studied in the project) from the bedroom to the patio, to the staircase, the window above the entrance to the sky. Note how the top edge of the ceramic patio wall is inclined inward and screened. At night, the light rains 'moonily' from above (behind the screen) bathing the wall Upstairs, the guest room: from here there is a deep perspective view (one of the seven perspective views crossing the body of the house that were studied in the project) from the bedroom to the patio, to the staircase, the window above the entrance to the sky. Note how the top edge of the ceramic patio wall is inclined inward and screened. At night, the light rains 'moonily' from above (behind the screen) bathing the wall](/content/dam/domusweb/en/from-the-archive/2011/02/02/villa-planchart-caracas-1953-57/big_322358_8481_97.jpg.foto.rmedium.jpg)
![In the master bedroom, the wall unit houses a jade collection. In the central illuminated display case, there is a surprising play of positive and negative, depending on the position of the swivel panel covering the niche In the master bedroom, the wall unit houses a jade collection. In the central illuminated display case, there is a surprising play of positive and negative, depending on the position of the swivel panel covering the niche](/content/dam/domusweb/en/from-the-archive/2011/02/02/villa-planchart-caracas-1953-57/big_322358_3151_105.jpg.foto.rmedium.jpg)