Villa Girasole, Rationalist villa in San Martino Buon Albergo, Italy.
Villa Girasole is a rationalist villa with a rotating L-shaped structure placed on a circular foundation. The building features metallic details, geometric forms, and ceramic coverings throughout its exterior and interior spaces.
The building was constructed between 1929 and 1935 under the direction of naval engineer Angelo Invernizzi and architect Ettore Fagiuoli. It was an experimental residential project designed to test new concepts of modern architecture.
The interior showcases rationalist design with geometric patterns and metallic furnishings arranged throughout the rooms. These spaces reflect how architects of that era thought about modern living and functional beauty.
The building is accessible for outside viewing, though the rotation mechanism is no longer operational today. Visitors should take time to walk around and see the unusual design from different angles.
The upper section was designed to rotate daily to follow the sun, offering optimal light and temperature control throughout the day. This innovative concept was extraordinary for its time and was rarely replicated elsewhere.
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