Balancing Act – The Lodge Udine Golf Club

The Lodge debuts as an architectural masterwork in Northern Italy’s Udine Golf Club.

A series of four golden-clad buildings seem to magically float above their foundations, an ethereal quality that evokes a feeling of suspended animation. That lighter-thanair attribute has been gracefully captured by Filippo Burelli and Giacomo Borta, two engineers whose passion for architecture and design is showcased in The Lodge, their geometric collection of luxury accommodations at the Udine Golf Club in Italy. Burelli and Borta of Uppercut Studio were inspired to juxtapose The Lodge’s sharply-drawn lines against undulating views of the pre-Alps and Dolomites mountain ranges. Their imaginative decision to envelop the exterior’s ground level in a mirrored finish truly emphasizes the optical illusion of these structures rising above the earth.

The duo’s minimalistic approach to design has the same playful sense as a handful of building blocks or Legos tossed on the ground, albeit placed in an extremely artful way. Hovering on the horizon and oriented in an east-to-west grid, expansive windows frame panoramas of the lush fairways and distant mountains. The deceptively simplistic parallel orientation of the buildings was thoughtfully considered by the designers, who are known for their clever interplay of elemental lines.

Inside, custom-made furnishings by Fabbro Arredi echo the suspended aesthetic of the exterior. The wardrobe looks as if it’s raised above the floor, thanks to freestanding elements and the rounded base which create a weightless, almost sculptural presence. Likewise, completely freestanding beds feature the same design technique as the wardrobe, providing a common visual thread. Among the materials used are Afrormosia wood and satin-finished stainless steel, a harmonious blend of elegance and practicality.

Refined design cues from Uppercut continue in a specially-designed garden at The Lodge, where a selection of species was chosen to be easily integrated, both botanically and aesthetically, with the surrounding environment, bursting forth in a vivid composition of shapes, textures, colors and blooms that accompany the changing of the seasons.

Click here to learn more about The Lodge.

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