A front-facing photograph taken during the daytime shows a small, green-painted greenhouse with two sloping glass roofs flanking a central staircase made of the same green material. The structures are built against a rugged, historical stone wall, with lush trees and dense vegetation growing behind them. Behind the greenery, tall, older multi-story apartment buildings with green shutters are visible, one featuring clothes hanging to dry. The foreground is a well-maintained green lawn.

Greenhouse in Genoa Blends Transparency and Movement

ByDesign Lens Hours
Home » Projects » Greenhouse in Genoa Blends Transparency and Movement

The Drama of Level Variation and the Direction of Circulation

Set within a private garden in the city of Genoa, the project employs changes in elevation to redefine the relationship between the built structure and the surrounding landscape, transforming topographical variation into an active architectural design instrument that shapes the spatial experience. Occupying a total site area of 400 square meters, the intervention is centered around a 40-square-meter greenhouse, conceived as a transparent architectural element that connects the garden with the existing building while preserving the balance of built masses and respecting the site’s architectural character.

Materiality and the Circulation Sequence in the Spatial Experience

A powder-coated steel staircase serves as the project’s primary circulation spine. Rather than functioning solely as a vertical connection between the two levels, it becomes a sculptural architectural feature that directs movement and frames a carefully orchestrated sequence of visual experiences throughout the ascent and descent. Its refined metal structure interacts with the natural light filtering through the garden, generating a continuous interplay of shadow and transparency that heightens the user’s perception of spatial progression while introducing a dynamic visual rhythm to the transition between spaces. The careful selection of building materials further enhances the project’s tactile and visual qualities.

An angled perspective photograph of the greenhouse taken at dusk, focusing on the central green painted staircase and the illuminated glass structure to the right. Warm interior light glows through the curtains and glass panels, contrasting with the ancient stone wall behind it and the soft evening light on the lawn in the foreground.
An angled evening shot highlighting the central staircase flanked by illuminated glass modules. The interaction between internal light and historic masonry accentuates the spatial depth and material contrast. (Image © Anna Positano)
An interior perspective of the greenhouse taken during daytime, looking down its length from the far end toward the garden entrance. Light green metal framing and glass panels create a sun-drenched corridor lined with light curtains. An old wooden ladder rests against the historical stone wall on the left, while a green bistro table and chairs sit on the concrete floor in the center, framing the view to the outdoor garden beyond.
An interior view from the seating area towards the garden, demonstrating the project’s success in framing views and orchestrating a gradual transition from enclosed transparency to the open historic site and greenery. (Image © Anna Positano)
An architectural site plan drawing of the project, showing an elongated L-shaped garden layout. The greenhouse structure is rendered in green in the middle section against a long retaining wall, featuring a central staircase connecting the upper terraced garden area to the lower green lawn expanse.
The architectural site plan illustrates the comprehensive strategy to organize the 400-square-meter garden via a linear 40-square-meter intervention (the greenhouse) that mediates between existing historical boundaries and the site’s natural slope.

A Dialogue of Transparency and Contextual Integration

The greenhouse establishes a direct visual relationship with the staircase, integrating seamlessly with the existing stone masonry to create a balanced dialogue between the site’s historic character and a contemporary architectural language. Its glazed façades maintain uninterrupted visual connections with the surrounding vegetation, while the lightweight steel structure enhances the penetration of natural daylight and emphasizes the transparency of the composition, reinforcing the sense of openness and strengthening the relationship between the interior environment and the natural landscape. This approach reflects contemporary principles of design that prioritize harmony between architecture and nature.

The Human Experience Between Movement and Contemplation

The project’s spatial experience unfolds through a carefully balanced rhythm of movement and pause. The staircase gradually guides users between the two levels, revealing changing perspectives and an evolving interplay of light and shadow with every step. In contrast, the greenhouse provides a tranquil setting for contemplation, where the garden extends seamlessly indoors through carefully selected planting and bespoke interior design elements designed specifically for the project. Architecture and landscape thereby merge into a unified composition that reinforces the harmony between the built environment and the surrounding nature.

An interior view looking down the length of the greenhouse during daytime, revealing a bright, transparent environment framed in light green metal and glass. Natural light illuminates the space. The historical stone wall forms the back boundary, accented by climbing vines. Potted plants line the space, and domestic chickens are visible exploring the concrete floor near the foreground.
An interior perspective highlighting the project’s core philosophy of transparency. The lightweight greenhouse frame provides shelter while maintaining a constant visual and physical connection with the lush plant life and historic site context. (Image © Anna Positano)
A close-up photograph focuses on the central green staircase of the greenhouse structure during the daytime. The staircase is flanked by the sloping glass and metal panels of the greenhouse roofs. Two chickens, one dark brown and one predominantly white with a red comb, stand on the steps, with a historical stone wall visible behind and through the transparent surfaces. Sunlight casts distinct shadows.
A detailed close-up capturing the textures and unexpected life within the greenhouse in Genoa. Domestic chickens on the central staircase emphasize the design’s goal of fostering a relaxed, integrated domestic environment. (Image © Anna Positano)
An interior photograph looking down the length of the greenhouse during daytime, showing a bright, transparent environment with glass walls and roof panels framed in light green metal. Sunlight filters through semi-transparent curtains drawn along the glass facade. At the far end, a green bistro table and matching metal chairs sit on the concrete floor near an old wooden ladder against the stone wall.
An interior shot looking toward a cozy seating area, emphasizing the intimate and reflective qualities of the space. Linen curtains soften the sunlight while the transparent structure and historical wall define a sanctuary-like atmosphere. (Image © Anna Positano)
An interior photograph looking down the length of the greenhouse during daytime, showing a light-filled space with transparent glass walls and roof panels framed in light green metal. Sunlight streams in, casting patterned shadows. The space features a historical textured stone archway with a hanging planter and tools. Potted plants line the perimeter, including a prominent snake plant. Further down, there is a small seating area with a chair and books.
This view from inside the greenhouse illustrates the seamless connection between the transparent structure and the rugged historical stone boundaries, with sunlight filtering through the glass and vegetation to create dynamic patterns of light and shadow. (Image © Anna Positano)
A full front elevation photograph of the greenhouse taken during dusk. The two glass-roofed modules with drawn curtains are illuminated from within by warm indoor lighting, framing the central green staircase. The historic stone wall behind and the surrounding lush vegetation are set against a clear twilight sky with historic apartment towers in the background.
A twilight perspective of the greenhouse in Genoa, capturing how internal artificial illumination activates the transparent structure, transforming it into a glowing architectural lantern within the terraced landscape. (Image © Anna Positano)

✦ ArchUp Editorial Insight

The project reinterprets changes in elevation as an active architectural strategy rather than merely a topographical constraint, transforming vertical circulation into a carefully choreographed sequence of spatial perception. The lightweight greenhouse acts as an intermediary between the historic stone structure and the surrounding landscape through transparency rather than visual dominance, while the custom-designed furniture reinforces the continuity of the spatial experience. Together, the project demonstrates how architecture and the deliberate selection of building materials can cultivate a deeper awareness of place without expanding the built footprint.

However, this interpretation prioritizes the sensory and experiential qualities of the project over its operational realities. The extensive glazed façades and finely detailed steel construction impose ongoing demands for maintenance, thermal regulation, and resource consumption—considerations that remain largely absent from the architectural narrative. Consequently, the long-term success of the dialogue between heritage and contemporary intervention may ultimately depend as much on effective long-term management as on the quality of the architectural composition itself, making it a valuable contribution to ongoing architectural discussion and research.

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Editorial Team: Mustafa & Rajy Khabazi.

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