MIRROR HOUSES BY PETER PICHLER ARCHITECTURE

Mirror-clad holiday homes reflect the natural beauty of the Dolomites

Tucked in the breathtaking South Tyrolean Dolomites, the Mirror Houses were designed by Peter Pichler Architecture as a pair of luxury guest houses. The adjacent units are located just outside of the town of Bolzano, Italy, on the same property as the owner’s personal lodging, a 1960s farmhouse.

An important element of the project’s success was creating visual coherence between the guest homes and the client’s home. There was also a desire to cultivate mutual privacy. To respond to both these needs, the architects clad the guest homes’ western, client-facing facade in mirrored glass. Thus, the guest homes absorb and reflect their surroundings and become almost invisible. The optical illusion allows the contemporary units to blend with the older farmhouse and also protects the guests’ privacy without blocking light. The mirrored glass is laminated with a UV coating to make it visible to birds.

The eastern facade of the guest homes faces the private garden and the main entrance to each unit. Large glass windows curve into the black aluminum shell, offero,g impeccable views of the garden and the mountains. Thanks to different heights and lengths between the two volumes, guest privacy is also preserved. A clever, recessed foundation makes both structures appear to float above the ground with unexpected lightness. Each rentable unit has its own kitchen, living room, bathroom and bedroom complete with adjustable skylights.