Alessandro Isola Studio has completed a sumptuous storage space for a private collection of Porsches in an undisclosed Italian location. Isola, who worked with project architect Roberto Zanlucchi to deliver the project, has shaped a monumental cabinet for cars, vertically stacked across a number of levels, with views up, down and through courtesy of glass floors.
The client's Porsche collection is arranged across a number of floors, connected via a car lift
Alessandro Isola describes the project as a ‘spatial experience that alters perception’, with a series of manoeuvres that lead the visitor through the interior to a point of dramatic reveal. Sober materials and tones are paired with splashes of rich colour, either through art, furnishings, material elements or, of course, the cars themselves.
The car lift is designed to sit flush with the floor when not in use
For the most part, the space is dark and restrained, with floors and walls in black resin paired with a folded black-metal staircase. The car lift – an essential part of the space – is bracketed with glass barriers, and there are also skylights and large expanses of glazed floor that allow views down on to the top of the collection.
The car lift rises all the way to the reception room on the uppermost floor
On the uppermost level, sliding glass doors open up onto a terrace. This space, which serves as a study and sitting area, is where the car lift terminates, and adjoining the planted roof a broad skylight provides views down into the heart of the collection, past three layers of Porsches.
The roof terrace provides views down through the space below
‘By challenging instinctive perceptions of stability and depth, the project introduces a subtle yet persistent tension, transforming movement through the space into an active and heightened spatial experience.’
The project started life as an industrial building, with a complete overhaul transforming it into the ultimate collector’s retreat and display space. The exterior is kept deliberately plain and anonymous, and the sliding metal entrance gives no clue as to what lies within. Arranged across four levels, with a basement given over to utilities and plant, the car collection begins on the ground floor.
Cars arranged on the ground floor of the collection
The rest of the building is what the architect describes as a ‘hybrid environment’ – the cars are always the stars but there is scope for hospitality as well as more private spaces.
For example, a dedicated professional kitchen is part of the programme, while a custom-designed 6m-long table sits on one of the upper floors, made from brass-finished metal with a form inspired by the classic Porsche silhouette. As part of the table support, the architects have incorporated a subtle Tangerine accent, a deliberate reference to one of Porsche's more vibrant and playful vintage colours.
The underside of the table features a flash of Porsche-spec Tangerine colour
The main spaces are all column-free, with structure pushed to the edge of the plan to allow for uninterrupted rows of cars. ‘Like a high-performance automobile, the building conceals significant technical complexity behind a form that appears effortless, precise, and controlled,’ says Isola.
A case in point is the highly engineered car lift, designed to fit flush with the ground floor when lowered. It can also take cars all the way to the topmost floor, alongside the bar area and wine cellar. There’s also a dedicated vinyl listening space here, along with direct access to the roof terrace with its outdoor kitchen.
Throughout the project, functional design is paired with playful, almost theatrical components. For example, in the deliberately dark and mysterious guest bathroom, the focal point is the basin, carved from a massive block of white Palissandro marble and fed by a ceiling mounted spout.
‘I visited the quarry to choose the original block, which was later cut and carved specifically for this project,’ says Isola, ‘The visible texture and natural fracture preserve the memory of its origin, connecting the finished space to the raw material from which it was created.’
The third level of the collection, with views to the two floors below
Ultimately, the entire space is about creating these points of intense connection, with the Porsches themselves as the undisputed stars. ‘They’re not symbols of status, but objects of passion, engineering, and memory,’ says Isola. ‘The architecture accompanies them without competing for attention.’
AlessandroIsola.com, @Alessandro_Isola