אדריכלות ישראלית - גיליון 122

Salvatore Spataro אדריכלותישראלית Architecture of Israel # 122 August 2020 60 | | End of March, beginning of April, 2020, about nine hundred people were dying every day in Italy – three to four dunam of graves, motivating the Israeli Ministry of Health to cite Italian statistics, quoting several Hebrew speaking Italians to convey the disastrous situation, should arrogant Israelis decline to remain at home. At the time, we published an article about an Italian project for converting agricultural land into an alternative energy farm. The magazines that were proudly making their way to the Italian architect were held up because flights were cancelled and concern for our Italian colleague brought up the idea of including an hommage to our colleagues in Italy in the current issue. We approached a number of architects still in touch with us via the internet, among them Salvatore Spataro, who had just returned from a visit to Israel and tried to interest us in advertising two of his recent works, which we perceived as a longing for old Italy. A Sicilian architect living in Florence, Salvatore was born in Noto, one of three Baroque towns built after the earthquake in 1693. The town is characterized by narrow streets, romantic cafes and restaurants set among stone buildings and ornate churches. Florence, we thought, is one of the most beautiful renaissance cities in the world, and nostalgic Noto is one of the most important Baroque cities in Italy - all perfectly aligned with the subject of sustainability that has a prominent place in this issue. And… the fact that Salvatore returned to Italian reality filled with enthusiasm about our "historical, cultural places in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Bethlehem", did the rest guest of the season hommage to italian architect Salvatore Spataro Bonnie Evans Filinona, B&B Hotel, Noto, Sicily The design concept of the boutique hotel near the historical center of the Baroque town concentrates on forming local identity via daily life traditional objects with a minimal investment to balance the luxurious amenities required by the guests. The hotel contains only three rooms on two storeys, connected by a staircase with a poster simulating an exit to the street. Every room has its own theme expressed in a seemingly naïve arrangement of items characteristic of the place - Sicilian cards, woven baskets, and ornate ceramic plates. However, closer inspection of the arrangement reveals a precise geometric order in accordance with the dimensions of the room and, in particular, the viewer’s angle. . Contemporary aspects find expression in modern comfort which draw their strength from the traditional Sicilian design. In each room, the floor is paved with decorated tiles belonging to the islanders’ iconographic heritage. The decorated floors "creep" from the bedroom into the adjacent bathroom, “growing” up toward the ceiling. At the center of the breakfast room is a common wooden table with chairs in different styles for guests to choose from, against a black and white poster describing moments in the daily life of the peaceful town. Architect: Salvatore Spataro. Photos: Samuele Castiglione. Milano 2020