Pierre Prignier came to Sri Lanka about 15 years ago as a tourist and was so fascinated by this island that he stayed on it forever. He first worked in a local factory and then started his own tire business, which turned out to be very successful. However, after 2004, when the tsunami hit the island, Pierre is better known as a philanthropist who donated a very large amount to help victims of the disaster. By the way, it was because of the tsunami then, six years ago, that the construction of a businessman's own house was postponed, and only in 2010 Tadao Ando was able to implement his project.
The choice in favor of this particular architect was made by Prignier's wife, the famous Belgian artist Saskia Pintelon, who considers Ando the greatest architect of our time. It is noteworthy that, while working on the project of the villa, Ando never visited Sri Lanka: his "eyes" on the island were employees of the local architectural bureau PWA Architects.
The house has three wings arranged around a central patio. One wing is completely dedicated to the master bedrooms, the second - to the art workshop and gallery, while the third housed public areas such as a double-height living room, dining room, a terrace, frozen in space with a spectacular console, and even a swimming pool. It should be noted that the last two wings are elongated rectangles in plan, diverging at an angle of 45 degrees.
This house is instantly recognizable as "Ando" for several reasons. First, of course, it is unplastered concrete, from which all the walls of the villa are made and which is present in most of the interiors - few modern architects can make this brutal material "sound" so lyrical and clean. Secondly, the skillful use of natural light. The layout of the house is dominated by double-height spaces, and panoramic windows and large open terraces face the surrounding picturesque nature and the Indian Ocean.
A. M.
