We are selling: An Italian summer – Your vacation villa on Sicily's west coast: iconic architecture from 2020 for real CHF 860,000.

On the slope of Monte Sparagio with its 1,111 meters above sea level, Terracenhaus II has dug in. Arno describes the house in an exposed location as a "viewing apparatus". And it's true. The view: total – with a large blue share. The foreground stops at the pool edge, beyond that, you are left to infinity. Losing all grip, surrendering with a sigh to Sicilia dreamin. Coastal outlines with Insta-rock formations, the sea with its islands and their mirror image, the sky. Further visible, the mountainous landscape, the nature reserve Riserva dello Zingaro, the towns of Castellammare del Golfo and Scopello. Living in a state of permanent immediacy. This state does not go away. Not even in the house. Not even when you close your eyes. Unless you turn your back on the impression in blue and ochre and sit in the P 110 armchair (1965) by Osvaldo Borsani. The gaze, which was just fixed on infinity, hits the amorphous wall of red rock hard.

Terracenhaus II, features

01 Central idea Viewing apparatus – habitable camera. The device works wonderfully - I've tested it myself: the eyes drink infinity.

02 The sliced mountain Deep incision into the slope lets the house disappear into the ground on the mountain side – with a fully glazed rear facade: heat protection and gain of light.

03 Type-truss-construction that allows maximum freedom of interior design.

04 The power of the two fronts Glass fronts with sliding elements facing the sea and into the mountain.

05 Mono-volume Pool, terrace, house, walls form a single building body. The connection between pool and house is accentuated with 40 cm high steps, which form two platforms and are part of the furniture.

06 Topographical entertainment From a distance, the slope house appears as three cuts in the mountain, minimal like those by Lucio Fontana. Two horizontal "cuts" for the outdoor pool wall and the roof line. The diagonal "cut" is the wall of the access road. The sloping flat roof hides the terrace and facade.

07 Restrained appearance Reference to local building experience.

08 Floor plan and built-in elements, ready to play Two service triangles in the room bring bathroom, walk-in closet, kitchen appliances, and storage under and separate the two sleeping zones from the rest of the spacious living and dining area. Exits from all zones to the outside. The level difference in the room creates a stage, a seating area, a relaxation platform. The free-standing module made of solid aluminum for cooking, washing, and equipping is functional and aesthetically a discovery! All built-in elements are custom-made and part of the architecture. Typical for these architects: the house comes ready to play. The few foreign furniture pieces are hand-picked and formally and mentally contribute to the feeling of life in a less stressful era. Well curated, Arno. We also had two P 110 and love the furniture by Cini Boeri.

09 A super cool timeout house means Poeticwalls. So an effortless house. One without a sense of mission. One that is almost invisible. A house that breathes infinity. One that is also comfortable and gives happiness.

10 Technology provides comfort Floor heating and cooling via air-water heat pump; separate heat pump for the pool.

Sicily instead of Ticino, Alentejo, Tuscany, Mallorca, Provence!

Italy is not without problems. Fortunately, its southernmost part is doing well in terms of infrastructure, security, and administration. Italy/EU has invested a lot in Sicily over the past 20 years. But Sicily is still not on the radar for second homes. That's changing now. Italians are buying and relocating their vacation homes to the island. The inspiring environment of architecture, art, cuisine, and lived traditions are good reasons: the Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Normans, Spaniards, and French have culturally and historically realized themselves in Sicily. The wealth of uninhabited landscapes and great cities inspires just as much. Not to mention Season 2 of "White Lotus", the American HBO mini-series: Sicily as an entertainingly exaggerated place of longing.

Arno Brandlhuber

The architect became known with his office Brandlhuber+ (now b+) in Berlin for recycling and reusing existing buildings. In addition to his own transformations, new buildings are also part of his repertoire. Arno Brandlhuber is a professor at ETH Zurich.