Project description
Villa La Belle Isnarde is a villa located in the South of France, close to Saint-Tropez. The project concentrates on a double Saracen Vault Staircase which enhances the entrance hall of the villa. A Saracen vault staircase consists of a double arch band built using hollow bricks bound in plaster, and flooring consisting of natural stone and marble treads and risers. Built by working forward and without scaffolding, the Saracen vault staircase is self-supporting. Thanks to the strong cohesion of the binder (plaster) and the brick, it reaches several metres in height without intermediate pillars or overhead suspension. The double Saracen vault staircase of the Villa La Belle Isnarde is exceptional for several reasons. Most interestingly, it is not only completely freestanding, but it is a helical staircase, which does not have any point of contact to the wall. Furthermore it is a “double staircase”, meaning it is composed of two identical mirror-inverted staircases.
Contractor
BRUNO RODRIGUEZ
Bruno Rodriguez is leading this family owned business in the 3rd generation; his grandfather and father were already renowned plasterers in the Saint-Tropez region. Bruno Rodriguez joined his father when he was 16 years old; today, he is specialized in high-end residential projects, working on behalf of demanding building owners, architects and interior designers
Key Achievements
- Aesthetics : this “architectural wonder” is a real work of art ; enhanced by the groove lighting embedded into the plaster and the bricks ; enhanced by the marble steps and risers
- Authenticity : each staircase is a unique creation, made by the hand of the plasterer
- Know-how transmission
Key Challenges
- The project required a specific technical expertise: design of a staircase, plaster know-how was key.
- Creating 2 identical mirror-inverted staircases, without any point of reference, in free space.
- The unusual shape of this Saracen vault staircase: completely freestanding.
- The embedding of groove lights required a more than perfect finish quality.