Giallo Dorato - Vicenza Stone

St Tropez Villas

Design: John Pawson

Credits: Gilbert McCarragher

Set in a landscape of parasol pines, vineyards and cork oak trees, the main house is axially aligned to the westerly views of the ancient citadel across the bay and arranged on a single principal floor.

The main house is composed of two long wings to the north, where the kitchen, guest bedroom and service areas are located, and the south which houses the master bedroom, guest bedroom and a library overlooking the vineyard. The two wings are bridged by a large folded roof canopy that houses the main public spaces.

Also orientated seaward, the guesthouse is positioned to one side, below an escarpment. The project’s language of simple cubic geometries and shallow tilted roof plans draws on the precedents of traditional vernacular forms.



The Villa pure’s architectural achievement is accompanied by appointments of rare quality: raw and noble materials, streamlined finishes, made to measure fixtures and fittings.

This comes as no surprise from a designer with a long-held passion for minimalism. ‘I love clear spaces,’ he recently declared. ‘I love the absolute minimum. I find that pleasurable. I also get pleasure from things done nicely…’ John Pawson.