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Suite Pila

The inspiration for the Pila suite comes from the distinguished Italian scientist Alessandro Volta, a native of this beautiful city. The suite is a tribute to his genius and revolutionary invention: the electric battery.

The room is rich in details and materials inspired by Volta’s battery, with a design that evokes copper and zinc. The dualism present in each element creates a harmonious tension: the dichotomy between the light wood of the floor and the dark wood of the furniture, the double paneling of the differently shaped bed, and the double shelf of the TV. A balance of soft shapes and rounded edges echoes the structure of the stack, offering a floating visual experience.

The walls and furniture feature the color terracotta red, inspired by the copper of electrical wires, creating a connection between the elements of the room and the visitor, like the tension generated by the stack.

Above the luggage rack, a painting depicts Alessandro Volta presenting his battery to Napoleon Bonaparte in Paris in 1801. The illustration, taken from ‘Le Petit Journal’ of Dec. 22, 190, captures the moment when Volta explained the workings of the pile at the Institut de France, winning a gold medal and a substantial cash prize. While the luggage rack is made of lacquered wood and embellished with symbolic details in satin chrome, representing the + and – poles, in homage to Volta’s battery.

The manuscript above the bed is a copy of Alessandro Volta’s handwritten letter addressed to Giovanni Francesco Fromond, in which he discusses his latest experiments with the electrophorus. The letter is dated August 12, 1775, and was sent from Como. In this letter, Volta describes the use of wool to rub the resinous dielectric plate and his development of a mastic more effective than tar or wax in producing an electrostatic charge.

This manuscript, of great scientific value, represents one of Volta’s first significant works on electricity.

Giovanni Francesco Fromond, the recipient, was a canon of Cremona with a deep interest in science, a correspondent of distinguished natural philosophers such as Joseph Priestley and Benjamin Franklin. The friendship with Volta developed between 1774 and 1775, a period when Fromond was working at the Brera Astronomical Observatory, which supplied instruments to Volta. The original letter was sold at Sotheby’s in London on Nov. 21, 1989, with an estimated value between €8,000 and €10,500.

An educational model of Volta’s column stack shows the alternating copper and zinc disks separated by layers of felt or cardboard soaked in salt water, a good conductor, that make up the stack. Connecting the top and bottom ends of the stack with an electrical conductor creates a circuit in which direct current flows. To generate a flow of electrical charges, a potential difference must be maintained between the two poles, obtained by means of electric current generators.

The Volta battery was the first electricity generator in history, and since then the potential difference has been measured in volts, in honor of its inventor Alessandro Volta. Initially called an “artificial electric organ” or “electromotive apparatus,” the battery was later so named because of its characteristic column structure.

This term has remained in use in Italian to generically designate all batteries for electrical appliances, regardless of their shape.

As for the bathrooms, they match the style of the room, feature the same details of colors and materials.

The stoneware tile is a modern reproduction of the classic Sant’Agostino seminato or palladiana ceramic tile, the typical floor found in historic homes on Lake Como. All sanitary ware, faucets and ceramics are Made in Italy produced by Italian companies. While the furniture was made to the architect’s design by a local craftsman from Cantù, a city famous worldwide for woodworking. The emotional shower is equipped with chromotherapy and also offers a massaging waterfall for a complete wellness experience. The toilets, which are rimless and feature Hatria’s “pure vortex” technology, received the prestigious ‘Red Dot Award 2024’ in the ‘Sanitary and Bathroom Equipment’ category for their innovative design.

The plates are coordinated with the bathroom details and faucets, creating a harmonious whole.

For the appliances, iconic pieces of Italian design from the 1950s, produced by SMEG, were chosen. Revisited with the latest technology, they retain their unmistakable style. The coffee machine, developed by SMEG in collaboration with Lavazza, offers authentic Italian coffee, strictly Lavazza, for GL Home guests.

In the entrance hall, the famous Lettera 22 by Olivetti, the most famous typewriter of 20th century Italian design, dominates. This precious object, which belonged to the GL Home owner’s grandparents who once lived here, was found in the attic during renovations. On the shelves, one can admire vintage postcards from the early 1900s, depicting images of Lake Como.