GLASS GROTTO

A contemporary version of the traditional Ticinese “grotto”, made out of glass and steel.

The name “grotto” derives from natural rocky caverns, where the population of Ticino – the Italian part of Switzerland – used to store wine, meat and cheeses. As modern refrigeration methods made this kind of food conservation space redundant, many farmers transformed their caves into social meeting points to taste wine and local products.

The glass grotto is situated within an existing cellar floor of a mountain house, offering a new kind of protected tasting space. The transparent pavilion alludes with its cold aesthetic to the original function of the grotto caverns, taking a step away from the standard „fake rustic“ style found in many grotti today.