Modern House Design Inspired by Nivola's Art

The Artistic Curl is a residential module proposed for the Living Museum competition at the Nivola Museum in Orani, Sardinia. The design explores the relationship between a small dwelling, the museum landscape and the sculptural work of Costantino Nivola.

Nivola’s work, particularly the sculpture known as The Mother, informed the study of mass and curvature. The proposal translates these observations into an inhabitable form without treating the new dwelling as part of Nivola’s own work.

The Artistic Curl: Digital model of the twisting residential module — Digital model of the twisting residential module.

Location          Orani, Sardinia, Italy
Client            Nivola Museum
Type              Residential Living Module, Competition Entry
Status            Competition Proposal
Year              2021
Principal         Ibrahim Nawaf Joharji
Scope             Organic Architecture, Extreme Engineering, Cultural Residence

A twisting ellipsoid gives the module a different profile from each viewpoint. The exterior narrows toward the ground and opens above, allowing the compact footprint to support a wider occupied volume.

The entrance leads into a narrow rotating stair before opening onto the upper living space. This change from enclosure to a broader view organizes the visitor’s experience of the interior.

The Artistic Curl: Visualization of a timber-clad module among trees — Visualization of a timber-clad module among trees.

The Artistic Curl: Concept diagram relating the module to a Nivola sculpture — Concept diagram relating the module to a Nivola sculpture.

The Artistic Curl: Museum display reference presented through curved graphic openings — Museum display reference presented through curved graphic openings.

Timber cladding follows the curved enclosure, giving the module a material relationship with the planted setting. The drawings study how the outer surface, internal rooms and openings fit within the same geometry.

Outdoor seating and a private patio extend the dwelling into the landscape. The site studies consider the placement of several modules among the existing vegetation and their connections to paths through the grounds.

The Artistic Curl: Portrait reference of the sculptor Costantino Nivola — Portrait reference of the sculptor Costantino Nivola.

The Artistic Curl: Diagram of viewing angles toward the surrounding landscape — Diagram of viewing angles toward the surrounding landscape.

Landscape views framed by the module's curved profile.

The Artistic Curl: Visualization of two modules on the sloping site — Visualization of two modules on the sloping site.

The Artistic Curl: Site development diagrams of access and module placement — Site development diagrams of access and module placement.

The Artistic Curl: Reference photograph of the museum courtyard and existing tree — Reference photograph of the museum courtyard and existing tree.

The Artistic Curl: Reference photograph of a sculpture in the museum grounds — Reference photograph of a sculpture in the museum grounds.

The Artistic Curl: Reference view of Orani and its hillside setting — Reference view of Orani and its hillside setting.

The Artistic Curl: Aerial reference with the study area outlined — Aerial reference with the study area outlined.

The Artistic Curl: Sketch of the modules distributed across the slope — Sketch of the modules distributed across the slope.

The Artistic Curl: Bedroom visualization beneath the curved glazed enclosure — Bedroom visualization beneath the curved glazed enclosure.

The Artistic Curl: Aerial visualization of the modules among existing vegetation — Aerial visualization of the modules among existing vegetation.

The Artistic Curl: Plans, sections and axonometric views of the module — Plans, sections and axonometric views of the module.

The Artistic Curl: Visualization of the module approached by an external stair — Visualization of the module approached by an external stair.

The Artistic Curl: Living Museum competition reference showing the existing exhibition interior — Living Museum competition reference showing the existing exhibition interior.

The Artistic Curl: Section study of the module and its narrow base — Section study of the module and its narrow base.

Geometric line study of the twisting form.

The proposal brings art research and residential planning into the same design process. The museum photographs, artist portrait and reference works shown here document its context; they are distinct from INJ Architects’ proposed architecture.

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