A Loft Apartment in Italy That Was Once a Cinema and Dance Hall

This loft apartment in Italy is now the home of an adventurous couple who saw much potential in the unconventional site

Not many homeowners can claim to live in an abode with a colourful past. Built in 1947 upon the ruins of a 19th-century building, this unusual property in Reggio Emilia, Italy once housed an erotic cinema and a dance hall. After the dance hall closed in the 1980s, it served as the seat and archive of political party PSDI (Italian Democratic Socialist Party); it was also abandoned for some years before the owners came to acquire it in 2017.

This unconventional 4,305 sq ft property is now home to an Italian couple, Raffaele Corsaro and Gabriella Cataldi. They both work as fashion designers, and have a shared passion for modern antiques and interior design. Corsaro is the founder of Re-Project Studio, while Cataldi works as a fashion designer at a notable Italian company.

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Above Homeowners Gabriella Cataldi and Raffaele Corsaro

Above A glimpse of the mezzanine, where a pair of Tripolina wood-and-leather chairs by Joseph Fenby from the 1930s stands next to the Lumi 721 floor lamp by Oscar Torlasco from the fifties

How the couple obtained this home is an interesting tale in itself. They had previously lived for six years in a rental unit, which also used to house a former cinema. Although the pair loved the apartment and its location in the city’s historical centre, they had to move out as the owners decided to sell the property. While the couple briefly considered buying it from their former landlords, they also felt that it did not fully match their requirements for a long-term residence.

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Above Next to the staircase is an old wooden chest of drawers that displays the Poul Poul lamp by Ingo Maurer and various curiosities. This area also features a Flos Fantasma floor lamp by Afra and Tobia Scarpa, standing next to two wooden African masks

Above A skylight above casts enchanting shadow play in the home throughout the day

On the same evening that the unit was sold, the couple approached the real estate agency that brokered the sale to ask if there was another property in the same neighbourhood with similar qualities, even if it was not intended for residential use. Despite their unusual brief, the agency responded the very next day that it did indeed have the keys to a property that matched their criteria. “After opening that saloon door with their brass handles from the 1950s, it was love at first sight; the rest has been an adventure,” declares Cataldi. Adds Corsaro: “Once we opened the saloon door, which gives access to the dance hall, we saw in front of us ‘a blank canvas to draw’.”

Photo 1 of 3 In the living room, a custom Carrara marble coffee table is paired with the Cassina Maralunga sofa by Vico Magistretti, Tecno D70 sofa by Osvaldo Borsani and armchairs acquired from Italian flea markets, and a bookcase by Vittorio Dassi in rosewood and brass

Photo 2 of 3 The attic was removed to raise the ceiling height to nine metres

Photo 3 of 3 The stainless steel open kitchen stands in sleek contrast to the dark wood and leather

The couple were impressed by the sight of this “huge empty box”: the dance hall had no pillars and partitions, and featured a six-metre-high ceiling. The owners expanded its lofty height to nine metres, after removing the attic. They also created a terrace that overlooks the roofs and domes of the city.

“Our desire was to create something from zero and tailor it according to our vision and needs,” shares Cataldi. “We renovated the entire building, from the facade and the entrance to the staircase, and also [created] a second apartment on the top floor.”Adds Corsaro: “We tried to keep as many of the original elements of the structure from the 1950s as possible; these include the doors, windows and floors of the bedroom, and the entrance and the study. In the larger areas such as the former ballroom, we have reached the right compromise between current technologies for energy efficiency while retaining the original flavour of the structure.”

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Above The couple’s favourite piece in their home is this long refectory table, which was purchased from an antique dealer in Venice and paired with the Anonima Castelli DSC 106 chairs by Giancarlo Piretti

Above The mezzanine features a play of colours, with the vibrant overlapping rugs from Carpet Edition

Above A pair of ancient Dogon wooden ladders from Mali is among the most eye-catching pieces in this area, which also features the building’s original black-painted wooden doors and glass-block wall

Above Designed by the owners, the staircase features marble steps, a glass balustrade, and handrails in iron and brass

In contrast to the myriad challenges that came with renovating a historical building, the couple found the decoration process surprisingly easy.

“The home is furnished with pieces that we have collected over the years from all around the world, including the flea markets and galleries we visited. We were surprised that so many things seemed to be made especially for our new home, even having been purchased years earlier,” shares Cataldi.

Photo 1 of 3 A vintage Minotti chair by Gigi Radice in a sandy shade complements the warm terracotta hue in this bedroom

Photo 2 of 3 The master bedroom retains the building’s original windows and terrazzo flooring for historical flavour

Photo 3 of 3 A vintage cabinet is among the characterful touches in the bathroom

Her favourite space is their bedroom, because “it is big, with a lot of light, and is the oldest part of the house that kept the original floors of the 1950s, but with brutalist walls”, whereas Corsaro’s preferred space is located by the steps that lead to the terrace. “Here, you can see the volumes, heights and geometries of the house, and there are all the materials and elements that we love in it: marble, brass, glass, concrete, and iron,” he says.

Above This bedroom sports an accent wall in a rich blue tone, matched with Azucena Montecarlo tables by Corrado Corradi Dell’Acqua and an Artemide Tizio table lamp by Richard Sapper

Above The original bathroom with its full-height walls and travertine flooring was lovingly restored; it also features a custom washbasin, brass taps, and the Flos Light Ball wall lamps by Achille Castiglioni

It took the couple three years to complete the primary refurbishment, which came to fruition in 2021, and thus take a few steps closer to the dream home they had long envisioned. The pair quip that this project will probably “never actually end”; they’re still making some small structural changes to the home and continuing to enjoy the process of decorating their spacious abode.This design journey has inspired the owners to start a new project: the opening of their 7887 Gallery Studio showroom in the city centre.

“Today, our passion for design has been transformed into a business,” says Corsaro with pride. “We collect almost obsessively, scrutinise, research, and identify and mix pieces and furniture from various eras; it’s a continuous study to create futuristic atmospheres that mix modern design with contemporary furniture, while using elements belonging to the traditions and craftsmanship of different cultures and eras.”

Above The home, as featured on the cover of the October 2022 edition of Tatler Homes Singapore

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Credits

Photography

Fabrizio Cicconi / Photofoyer

Words

(Additional reporting) Hong Xinying

Topics

home design architecture Italy decor interior design modern industrial vintage

Tatler Asia

Home Tour: How a Couple Transformed a Former Dance Hall Into a Loft Apartment