Trieste, Italy

architectural design: Ana Gruden

associate: Andrej Pankr, Anja Simčič

photos: Primož Korošec

The Casa Saba, a historic multi-apartment townhouse once home to the Italian poet and writer Umberto Saba, stands in one of Trieste’s most beloved neighborhoods — beside the Teatro Rossetti and just steps from the Viale XX Settembre promenade. Five years ago, a major investor purchased the entire building, renovating its façade, roof, and staircase, and adding an elevator. The individual apartments, which required complete reconstruction and new installations, were later sold separately. One of them, located on the left side of the second floor, was redesigned by my architectural studio — turning the old rooms into a space that breathes a new experience, inspired by travel, people, nostalgic memories, and the rhythm of contemporary life. To give the apartment a private studio and thus increase its market value, we obtained permission and built an additional entrance.