San Saba House Extension by adamo-faiden + Supervoid | Rome, Italy
San Saba House Extension reconfigures a historic Rome building, blending steel, terracotta, and terraces for seamless indoor-outdoor contemporary living.
The San Saba House Extension is a masterful collaboration between Buenos Aires–based Adamo-Faiden and Rome–based Supervoid, transforming a five-story early 20th-century building into a contemporary residential landmark. Completed in 2023, this project balances historical preservation with modern design innovation, redefining urban living in the historic San Saba neighborhood of Rome.
Reimagining Historic Architecture
This project reinterprets the original early 20th-century structure while adapting it to modern lifestyles. By completely reconfiguring the apartment layout, the designers relocated the main living areas from the Via Flaminio Ponzio façade to a central internal terrace, creating a private, sunlit heart for the home. This intervention not only enhances the spatial flow but also maximizes connection with the surrounding landscape.
A large folding glass door links the kitchen to the terrace, creating a seamless indoor-outdoor experience and allowing natural light to permeate the living areas. The design emphasizes fluidity, openness, and the visual expansion of space, transforming everyday living into an immersive experience with nature.
Fluid Indoor-Outdoor Connection
A newly designed external staircase, perfectly aligned with the building’s central axis, establishes a continuous dialogue between the interior and exterior. This connection unfolds through intermediate spaces framed by sleek metal structures and polycarbonate sliding doors, guiding movement while preserving transparency and light.
The terraces are conceived as a series of open-air rooms, framed with lush perimeter vegetation, which extends the living spaces into the landscape. These outdoor extensions create a dynamic interplay between private and communal areas, enhancing the sense of spatial continuity throughout the residence.
Materiality and Interior Design
In stark contrast to the building’s thick brick walls, key interior elements—including doors, window frames, fan coil casings, the kitchen, and select furniture—are clad in steel sheet, creating a reflective, almost dematerialized effect that interacts subtly with natural light.
A handcrafted terracotta floor from Fornace De Martino in Salerno runs continuously across the main level, providing warmth, texture, and a tactile connection to the Mediterranean tradition of craftsmanship. Lighting by O/M Light - Osvaldo Matos further accentuates the spatial qualities, emphasizing textures, reflections, and architectural rhythm throughout the interior.
Contemporary Adaptation of Historic Urban Living
The San Saba House Extension exemplifies thoughtful adaptive reuse and contemporary refurbishment. By balancing historical architecture with modern interventions, the project demonstrates how urban residences can evolve to meet modern demands while respecting their heritage.
This extension not only enhances functional living but also enriches the architectural dialogue of Rome’s urban fabric. It highlights how innovative design strategies—careful spatial reconfiguration, material experimentation, and seamless indoor-outdoor integration—can transform historical residences into vibrant modern homes.
