Located at the foot of a hill, Roccamandolfi Castle rises from the rocky cliffs and, with the same raw material, blends into the landscape as if it had always belonged there. Its location and elevation mean that the laws of nature constantly act upon it, subjecting it to harsh winters and infernal summers, leaving it in a pristine state in the face of the harshness that assails it. It is in this spirit of place that the challenge was presented to us, and this was precisely the starting point for reflection before intervening.

The idea arose to create an element that would relate to the landscape without interfering with the castle; that is, something that would be seen upon approach and not from observation. Studying the form, we arrived at an elliptical ring, positioned around the castle without touching it, as if it were a guardian of the heritage for the future, while simultaneously marking the territory within the vast natural landscape. This 900m2 ring would encompass the entire program so that there would be no further interventions in nature. Within the elliptical ring, both the accommodation units and support areas would enjoy views of the castle and the surrounding landscape. Simultaneously, an accessible roof was created, intended to serve as a walkway and viewpoint for all visitors circling the castle. The ellipse has a major axis of 66 meters and a minor axis of 36 meters, with a distance of between 3 and 17 meters from the castle walls.

Access to the rooms is via the roof through stairs located in the center of the ring, allowing visitors to enjoy a scenic route. The accommodation units have a small entrance atrium that functions as an anteroom.

The elliptical ring is composed of three elements: the base, the glazed volume, and the roof. These elements are supported by pillars that anchor the structure to the ground. The increased number of pillars made them thinner, creating a "levitation" effect of the structure over the valleys and the castle.