Gonzalez Haase Architects Offsets the Porto Cervo Heat With Cool Hues for Modes Boutique

The Italian resort of Porto Cervo is beloved by the superyacht international jet set for its sparkling marinas and seaside views—and threatened by rising sea and temperature levels. It’s also home to the latest Modes boutique, the Italian luxury brand founded by Aldo Carpinteri in 1971 and with shops throughout Italy and Switzerland. Its bold design, courtesy of Berlin-based firm Gonzalez Haase AAS, comments on both the glamor and peril of the location.

Across 3,500 square feet and three floors, architects Pierre Jorge Gonzalez and Judith Haase installed volumes of various sizes and shapes, all in custom finishes of gray with dramatic expanses of solid colors, interspersed with dramatic curtains of metallic technical fabric that insulate visitors from the brilliant rays of the sun on the Promenade du Port. “The cold grey space immediately transmits a feeling of comfort,” says Haase. “Our interventions cannot offer a physical answer to the problem of climate change in a way that we would hope.” Still, the palette, inspired by cool Nordic climates, “might not help as much from a physical perspective, but from a mental one.”

The team put their principals into practice. “We kept almost the entire existing structure, adding only simple layers to the shell,” says Gonzalez. “A reduced approach to architecture allows us to avoid the waste of resources.” The minimal result still packs maximal effect.  

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