Casa Fenoglio-Lafleur (or Fenoglio-Lafleur house) is a historical building in the

Liberty style Liberty style ( ) was the Italian variant of Art Nouveau, which flourished between about 1890 and 1914. It was also sometimes known as ("floral style"), ("new art"), or ("modern style" not to be confused with the Spanish variant of Art Nouveau ...

located in

Turin Turin ( , ; ; , then ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. The city is main ...

, Italy. It is situated in the ''San Donato'' borough, a central area with significant Stile Liberty buildings and New Gothic architecture in Turin. The building was designed in 1902 by building engineer Pietro Fenoglio who made it his private residence. ''Casa Fenoglio-Lafleur''.

History

Fenoglio designed the building as his home, according to the French

Art Nouveau Art Nouveau ( ; ; ), Jugendstil and Sezessionstil in German, is an international style of art, architecture, and applied art, especially the decorative arts. It was often inspired by natural forms such as the sinuous curves of plants and ...

style. It was a "home-studio" which favored freedom of expression for creative talent. The building was designed to be an aesthetic model of the new

. After it was built in the 1900s, Pietro Fenoglio and his family left the house. They sold it to a French businessman named Lafleur, who lived there until his death. After Lafleur, the heirs left the whole house to ''La Benefica'', an important orphanage and charity association in Turin. It was saved from bombing in the Second World War. The building suffered years of decline but in the 1990s was sold to private clients who restored it carefully, giving back the original splendor. At the moment the building is partially appointed to private residence and offices.

Description

The building is located on the edge of the old town, close to other famed residential landmarks such as the

Casa della Vittoria The Casa della Vittoria (also known as the Casa del Carrera or Casa dei Draghi or the Palazzo della Vittoria) is a building northwest of the city center of Turin, Piedmont, Italy, considered one of the most interesting examples of residential arch ...

and the Villino Raby. It is spread over three floors above ground, plus the attic floor. A privileged location is characterized by angular momentum along the axis of the ''corso Francia'' and ''via Principi d'Acaja'' where will find the main entrance and driveway access to the inner garden. Although the structure is characterized by a rather traditional urban setting typical of a bourgeois villa, the building is an excellent and balanced example of combined use of materials. The decoration is very rich, abundant and references Art Nouveau with frequently phytomorphic shapes. The latter constitutes the elements between the two wings of the building and is embellished with a pronounced oriel window with polychrome glazing which exhibits a mixture of wrought iron. The motifs of twisting lines are also evident in an elegant glass aedicule overlooking the garden terrace, which seems to reference the Parisian sinuosity of

Hector Guimard Hector Guimard (, 10 March 1867 – 20 May 1942) was a French architect and designer, and a prominent figure of the Art Nouveau style. He achieved early fame with his design for the Castel Beranger, the first Art Nouveau apartment building i ...

's architecture.Architect of the famous canopies of the

Paris Métro The Paris Métro (, , or , ), short for Métropolitain (), is a rapid transit system serving the Paris metropolitan area in France. A symbol of the city, it is known for its density within the capital's territorial limits, uniform architectur ...

. The work of Fenoglio, however, seems refreshingly unaffected by the schools of French and Belgian

, not only for the careful stylistic coherence but also the ambition to give the building an international connotation. This prompted Pietro Fenoglio to devote himself personally to designing every detail: from the drawing of the frame chassis, sought relief in shaped-cement, without neglecting the splendid inner door that gives access to the main entrance, the wooden frames of doors, rather than the singular design of cast iron radiators. The house was carefully restored in the 1990s, returning the building to its original splendor. It now again functions as a private residence and offices.

References

Bibliography

* Mezzo secolo di architettura 1865-1915. Dalle suggestioni post-risorgimentali ai fermenti del nuovo secolo, Mila Leva Pistoi, Turin, 1969 * Le opere di Pietro Fenoglio nel clima dell’Art Nouveau internazionale, Riccardo Nelva, Bruno Signorelli, editor Dedalo, Bari, 1979 * Il Liberty in Italia, Rossana Bossaglia, Charta, 1997, {{ISBN, 8881581469

External links

sur www.1902. Info
Art Nouveau architecture in Italy Buildings and structures in Turin Art Nouveau houses Houses in Italy Houses completed in 1902