A unique retreat above Lake Maggiore

Designed by Ticino architect Cristiana Guerra, this new building in Muralto, near Locarno, looks as if it has been there throughout the ages. Its reserved design radiates a timeless sense of calm. Exposed concrete dominates the facade of this monastery-like building complex, which offers a wonderful view of the lake and the city. Inside, there are white and light-grey sections on the ceilings and walls; above all, wood is the stand-out material used. Wooden fittings and furniture, coupled with the wooden floors from traditional Swiss manufacturer Bauwerk Parquet, impart a warm ambiance to the rooms. The sisters from the Order of the Sisters of Mercy of the Holy Cross of Ingenbohl will be spending their well-deserved retirement in the twenty modestly furnished rooms and varied common areas in the Casa Sant'Agnese.

Cristiana Guerra craftily embedded the Casa Sant'Agnese into a terraced vineyard. Parts of the building shelter a calm inner courtyard, which the sisters use as a garden for growing medicinal plants. A statue of Saint Francis overlooking a panoramic view standing in a small forecourt welcomes the residents and ushers them inside. The entrance hall leads to the chapel, which fascinates with an impressive play of light and shadow and is completely clad in wood. For Bauwerk Parquet, the project presented the challenge of matching the colour of the wooden flooring to the panelling on the walls and ceilings, and to the many items of built-in wooden furniture. "We have always felt very well advised by the professionals at Bauwerk Parquet," says the architect Cristiana Guerra, who has previously worked with this high-quality parquet manufacturer from Eastern Switzerland on several projects.

The architect ultimately chose the Monopark parquet format. This short-strip oak parquet has a natural oiled surface and a calm grading, blending in well with the interiors of Casa Sant'Agnese. Cristiana Guerra planned it as a long-lasting floor covering for the common rooms, such as the library and the refectory, as well as the corridors and the nuns' rooms. "In Casa Sant'Agnese, the parquet floor’s warm radiance supports a sense of well-being for the mind and soul," says the architect.

The Monopark parquet collection by Bauwerk was installed in Casa Sant'Agnese in a classic shipdeck pattern. The 2-layer parquet has a very compact 9.6-millimetre structure and is extremely hard-wearing. Precise manufacturing guarantees a quick, reliable installation process. The Swiss manufacturer specifically developed Monopark for the commercial sector with the classic strip parquet look. The parquet underlay features the dimensionally stable and resilient HDF panel technology. The resource-saving top layer consists of three millimetres of fine wood – durable oak for the Casa Sant'Agnese – and can be renovated several times to sustain long periods of use. Like all of Bauwerk’s parquet products, this wood is sourced from sustainable forestry. Monopark is ecobau certified and meets the strict criteria for the eco-INSTITUT-label – something architect Cristiana Guerra and the nuns appreciate – and represents the parquet’s ecological quality and perfect suitability for healthy living.

Isidori Pavimenti, a second-generation family-run floor installer operating in Ticino, processed around 1,200 m2 of Monopark in the 470 x 70 mm short strip format at the Casa Sant'Agnese. They produced the skirting and steps for the elegant stairs using the same oak wood supplied by Bauwerk Parquet.

The Casa Sant'Agnese is very popular with the nuns. Well-known Swiss architect Mario Botta thanked Cristiana Guerra for her work in Muralto in an essay (titled luce e gravità). In the Casa Sant'Agnese, she "created a humble yet refined space for quiet meditation".

Project: Casa Sant'Agnese della Congregazione delle Suore di Ingenbohl, Muralto
Architecture: Studio di architettura Cristiana Guerra, Bellinzona, www.cristianaguerra.ch
Commissioned: 2020
Floor installer: Isidori Pavimenti, Cadenazzo, www.isidoripavimenti.ch
Parquet: Natural oiled oak Monopark by Bauwerk Parquet
Photos: Marcelo Villada Ortiz, www.marcelovillada.ch

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