A Contemporary Layer on a Sicilian Villa, Terrasini, Sicily, Italy
Architect: Antico Nuovo Building Studio
In Terrasini, on Sicily’s northern coast, Terrazza della Femmina reimagines part of a traditional villa through a distinctly contemporary intervention. A new cantilevered terrace in white cement and steel is set directly against the existing house, establishing a deliberate contrast between the original architecture and the new addition.
The character of the project is shaped by the reinterpretation of cannucciato, a traditional local reed material normally used as horizontal shading. Here, it becomes a much more prominent architectural element, forming screens and overhead planes that wrap the terrace and create shade, privacy and a softer visual rhythm.
The reed surfaces filter the strong Mediterranean light and cast changing patterns of shadow across the white structure throughout the day. Their natural texture contrasts with the precision of the steel frame, giving the extension a lighter and more permeable appearance.
From the garden, the new volume appears to hover above the existing outdoor space. The cantilever creates a sheltered lounge below, while the upper level becomes a generous open-air living area connected to the house and oriented toward the surrounding landscape.
An exterior staircase forms an integral part of the composition. Framed by the reed screens, it creates a sequence of filtered views and shifting light as it connects the garden level with the terrace above.
The upper terrace is conceived as a true Mediterranean outdoor room. A broad cannucciato canopy provides shade while preserving openness toward the garden and the surrounding Sicilian landscape. Rather than simply adding another enclosed room, the intervention extends the house outward into the open air.
Below the terrace is an outdoor lounge, while the upper level connects to a renovated master suite influenced by Japanese and Scandinavian minimalism.
Terrazza della Femmina demonstrates how a focused architectural intervention can significantly transform the character of an existing house. White cement and steel introduce a clear contemporary language, while the reinterpretation of cannucciato anchors the project firmly in its local context.
The result is an addition that does not imitate the original villa, but adds a new architectural layer: contemporary in expression, yet unmistakably connected to Sicily.
Project: Terrazza della Femmina
Location: Terrasini, Sicily, Italy
Architecture: Antico Nuovo Building Studio www.anticonuovostudio.com
Lead architect Anthony Cane
Photography: credit to be confirmed