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Entwurf • Design Marcante Testa, IT-Turin
Bauherr • Client Rechtsanwaltskanzlei IT Turin
Foto: Carola Ripamonti, IT-Turin
Standort • Location IT-Turin
Nutzfläche • Floor space 200 m 2
Fotos • Photos Carola Ripamonti, IT-Turin
Mehr Information • More information 146

1 Eingang • Entrance/Waiting room
2 Empfang • Reception
3 Sekretariat • Back Office
4 Flur • Hallway LAWYER’S OFFICE
5 Büros • Offices
6 Teeküche • Kitchenette
7 Konferenzraum • Meeting room IN TURIN
8 WC • Restroom

T he statement “I believe in the magic and authority of words”
greets the clients of the law office in Turin as a three-dimensional
wall design positioned next to the reception counter. Following this
motto, the interior of the newly designed law office ought to encour-
age the often insecure and advice-seeking clients and reduce the dis-
tance between the judicial system and the individual person. For this
purpose, the Turin-based lawyers commissioned the local architectur-
al firm Adelaide Testa and Andrea Marcante, who have been working
together under the UdA label since 2004 and as Marcante Testa since
2014 and have made a name for themselves as interior specialists for
elegant gastronomic and residential projects. The carefree extrava-
gance, the sensitive combination of diverse patterns and materials as
well as taking up historical references let their interiors tell stories and
invite residents and visitors to engage in dialogue. This is exactly what
Marcante Testa achieved on the 200 square metres of an inner-city
residential and commercial building dating from the 19th century.
What the client of the law firm at first sight perceives as a cheerful and
homely mixture of materials and patterns, which is perfectly suited to
dispel fears of contact with the power of law, turns out to be a hom-
age to the historical heritage and Turin's architectural history. The
elaborately refurbished parquet flooring, which could be preserved in
almost all areas, served with its geometry as a design template for the
Grundriss • Floor plan mirrored reception counter with screen-printing ornamentation, for
the wallpaper with diamond graphics and for the reinterpretation of
the panelling in the large conference room. The latter provides a quiet
backdrop for the furniture, which was custom-designed by Marcante
Testa - the shelving unit made of painted MDF and metal profiles as
well as the table with a metal laminate top. The exciting combination
of shiny metal, mirrored glass and subdued, warm wood tones is
enriched by quotes from famous Turin architects of the recent past.
The use of silkscreen prints on the doors of cupboards and book-
shelves in the conference room relate to Carlo Mollino (1905-1973),
while the reinterpretation of classical elements such as the plaster
frames placed in front of the walls, which "structure" the wallpaper,
and the ceiling rosettes, which with contemporary geometries support
the effect of the lighting fixtures, remind of Toni Cordero (1937-2001).
Upholstered seating furniture with soft shapes and bright colours
breaks up the rather masculine overall atmosphere of the interiors -
typical for Marcante Testa - as does the lavish decoration with numer-
ous indoor plants, which, however, seems to be largely due to the
Axonometrie • Axonometry passion of the lawyer and client.

AIT 10.2017 • 101