Casa CSR, a nineteenth-century palace in the historic center of Ragusa, has been divided in the course of time, thus resulting today a joint of several properties.
The upshot was an intricate dwelling “unit” that extended over all four floors, with environments on the ground floor, one room on the mezzanine, and further environments on first floor and attic. There was also an impractical circulation system unsuitable for contemporary spatial allocation and living requirements.
The key renovation feature is the multi-ramp internal staircase linking the mezzanine room with the first and attic floor. This lightweight structure in galvanized steel with perforated sheet-steel steps is located in the long corridor on the first floor that was turned into a full-height 14-metre volume stretching from the mezzanine to the top floor.
The light structure of the staircase allow the light to penetrate from the zenith skylight on the roof until the game room located in the mezzanine floor, thus highlighting the stark contrast to the weight of the masonry.
The spatial reorganization programme was posited on a “catalogue” of decorative and architectural elements to be preserved and restored. These included the timber window and doorframes, the traditional many- coloured ceramic floor tiles which were removed and re-laid to highlight the new juxtaposition of old and modern and the traditional 19th century system of aligned or “enfilade” environments.