The restoration of the historic Villa “I Platani” on the shores of Lake Como, Italy, was completed in December 2023. The villa and gardens have been resurrected as an exclusive wellness destination. The Penetron System, including PENETRON ADMIX, a crystalline concrete waterproofing admixture, was used for the villa’s below-grade concrete structures.
“Even in ancient Roman times, people flocked to Lake Como to escape the heat of the city and enjoy the cool mountain air. Today, its shores are dotted with romantic villas, picturesque gardens, and lakeshore restaurants,” notes Enricomaria Gastaldo Brac, CEO & Managing Director of Penetron Italia. “It’s a dreamy and mysterious place – even if you don’t find George Clooney!”
Located in the municipality of Tremezzina directly on Lake Como and minutes from the historic center of town, the Villa I Platani was originally constructed in the 19th century and owned by the Marelli family of Milano, a wealthy industrial dynasty. The villa has an indoor footprint of 750 m2 (8,350 ft2) with 180° views of the lake.
The villa’s surrounding park (6,000 m2 / 66,000 ft2) boasts several plane trees, from which the villa takes its name – Villa I Platani. The star of the villa’s garden is a majestic, 43-m (473-ft) tall “Oriental Plane,” estimated to be around 350 years old; it’s the tallest plane tree in Italy.
After many years of neglect, the villa was sold and transformed into a high-end wellness hotel with 27 rooms and 10 spa quarters. Situated directly on the shores of Lake Como, the project developers paid particular attention to the quality of the building materials – and the choice of a durable waterproofing solution.
Penetron waterproofing products are formulated to react with key concrete components to produce an integral crystalline formation that lasts for the life of the concrete.
For the repair and reconstruction of the villa’s below-grade structures, Penetron Italia recommended PENETRON ADMIX, which was added to 1,500 m3 of concrete mix for the new concrete elements. PENEBAR SW-55A, a swellable waterstop, was used to seal the resulting construction joints. PENECRETE MORTAR was applied topically as a repair grout for any cracks larger than 0.5mm (1/51”) that appeared in the concrete columns. As a final topical waterproofing layer, PENETRON was applied to the prepared concrete surfaces to seal any micro-cracks, pores, and capillaries against the penetration of water or liquids – making the concrete impermeable and providing self-healing capabilities.
“Once you prevent water and waterborne chemicals from penetrating concrete, the life span and durability of the concrete matrix is significantly increased,” adds Enricomaria Gastaldo Brac. “As tests have shown, the service life of PENETRON ADMIX-treated concrete is about three times longer than conventional concrete.”
Better than new – with Penetron: The Penetron System of crystalline concrete waterproofing products was used for the repair and reconstruction of the Villa I Platani’s below-grade structures.
