Design Villa By Gae Aulenti For Sale In Pisa, Tuscany

Just outside the medieval walls of Pisa, in a quiet residential area, a design villa designed by architect Gae Aulenti. Easily accessible from the city road, the property (464 sqm, 5 bedrooms) is within walking distance of all necessary services and a ten-minute walk from Piazza dei Miracoli and the Leaning Tower of Pisa. The 2,500-sqm garden surrounding the building is well-maintained and fully fenced, guaranteeing privacy and security.

The services are all available in the immediate vicinity and can be easily reached on foot, and Pisa’s historical center is less than a kilometer away on foot. The city hospital is also reachable in about 10’ by car from the villa. Leaving Pisa, Florence can be reached in about an hour and a half and the most renowned centers of the Tuscan coast (Marina di Pisa, Viareggio, Forte dei Marmi...) in less than half an hour.

DESCRIPTION OF THE BUILDINGS

The villa (464 sqm – 4,992 sqft in total) is on two levels plus a small basement cellar, ideal for storing wines at a controlled temperature.

On the ground floor (400 sqm – 4,304 sqft), the house opens onto the living area, comprising an eat-in kitchen, living room with large fireplace, reading room, private study, service bathroom and winter garden. The sleeping area, reached via a corridor with built-in wardrobes, instead houses three bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms. The remaining part of the floor is reserved for service rooms that include the laundry, boiler room and a storage room with access to the building’s systems. From the outside there is also access to a convenient storage room (14 sqm – 150 sqft) where garden tools can be kept and the control room for the well pumps.

The first floor (approx. 50 sqm – 538 sqft) can be used either as part of the main house or as an independent apartment with direct access from the garden. Currently the second option has been chosen and the unit consists of a living room with kitchenette (convertible into a bedroom) and exit to the terrace (20 sqm), bedroom and bathroom.

Outside, not far from the main entrance, a porch attached to the villa allows two cars to be conveniently sheltered.

STATE AND FINISHES

The building was designed and constructed in 1973 by architect Gae Aulenti, the only example of her residential work in the whole of Tuscany.

The building’s solid brick walls ensure maximum privacy for the owners, while the presence of many windows (carefully positioned so as to always let in light) and large skylights allow light to flood all the rooms. The living room, in particular, is an immense double-volume hall lit by windowed slits open into the ceiling. The skylights are all fitted with insulating double glazing and motorized covering system. The original finishes chosen by Aulenti are still in place, carefully maintained by the current owners, as is the custom-made furniture that is an integral and indissoluble part of the villa as originally designed.

The walls of the house all features a cavity for better insulation: this would also allow adding an External Thermal Insulation Composite System (ETICS) without the need of going outside the house.

Heating is achieved via fan-coils, which can be controlled independently from each room to ensure the optimum temperature in each area at all times of the year. In terms of security, the building is equipped with an alarm featuring infrared sensors and cameras.

EXTERIORS

The house is surrounded by a well-kept garden of approximately 2,500 sqm dotted with ornamental plants, shrubs, flowers and also a small vegetable garden where one can grow one’s own vegetables. The garden is equipped with a manual irrigation system fed by an well (60 m deep) fed by rainwater. In summer, the current owners install an above-ground pool on the property, but (subject to authorization by the municipality) it might be possible to build a reinforced concrete pool in the garden.

The garden is also equipped with an automatic lighting system with motion and twilight sensor.

Access to the property is via two gated entrances, both located along the paved road and very convenient.

WHO WAS GAE AULENTI?

Gae Aulenti (1927 – 2012) was an Italian architect and designer known for her bold and innovative approach to modern architecture. She graduated from the Polytechnic University of Milan and worked for several years as a designer before turning to architecture in the 1960s.

Aulenti’s style was characterized by a combination of modernist and post-modernist elements, with a focus on bold geometric shapes and the use of natural materials. She was also known for her ability to create innovative and functional spaces that were both beautiful and practical.

Some of Aulenti’s most notable works include the Musée d’Orsay in Paris, which she transformed from a disused railway station into a world-class museum, and the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, which she designed in collaboration with local architects. She also designed several iconic pieces of furniture, including the Pipistrello lamp and the Locus Solus bookcase.

Aulenti’s legacy continues to influence architects and designers around the world, and her work can be seen in major cities such as New York, Paris, and Tokyo. Her innovative approach to architecture and design helped to redefine the modernist movement and establish her as one of the most important architects of the 20th century.

CLOSEST CITIES AND TOWNS

Historic center of Pisa (1km; 5’), Marina di Pisa (15km; 20’), Lucca (20km; 30’), Viareggio (23km; 25’), Volterra (68km; 1h 15’), Forte dei Marmi (37km; 35’), San Gimignano (80km; 1h 25’), San Casciano in Val di Pesa (81km; 1h 15’), Florence (91km; 1h 30’), Monteriggioni (110km; 1h 35’), Siena (126km; 1h 50’)

CLOSEST AIRPORTS

Pisa G. Galilei (8km; 15’), Firenze A. Vespucci (85km; 1h), Grosseto C. Baccarini (159km; 1h 45’), Bologna G. Marconi (167km; 1h 50’), Genova C. Colombo (175km; 2h 20’), Roma Fiumicino (328km; 3h 30’), Roma Ciampino (349km; 3h 40’)