The L’ARCA INTERNATIONAL architecture magazine recently organised a competition open to architecture professionals, for which the award ceremony took place a few weeks ago in Paris. The architects had to design a full hotel complex, made up of a spa and fitness space, a bar and restaurant, rooms, and work spaces, among other elements, using assigned products such as KRION®, the Solid Surface material from PORCELANOSA Group.
One of the 2 winners in the ceremony was the Italian Beltrame agency. They designed a hotel with a strong connection between architecture, design, and art, with exhibitions and events, a restaurant, wellbeing and sport, offering a contemporary form of luxury and leisure.
“Krion® is the common element of the project thanks to the architectural and decorative elements, found in the welcome counter and bar, the bed and its cornice, the bathroom units, the wellness zone, the wall coverings of the restaurant room, and most visibly in the facade of the building in an endless strip”, states architect Claudio Beltrame. “In the DeLuxe Collection room, we wanted to stimulate the senses of the guest, with the idea of a canopy bed made of Krion®, with a technological aspect combining intimacy, comfort and relaxation with the material and the necessary systems such as computers and even the automated control for lowering the elegant silk drapes from the cornice of the bed, and lighting with takes account of transparency and brightness between the bathroom, the bedroom and the Italian shower.”
The library and the Co-working space are found on the first floor, seen from the hall. This space is formed around areas which are separated to a greater or lesser extent. The use of decorative elements which adapt to each area is notable.
“We have designed a ground floor bar, with an entrance from the lobby”, Claudio Beltrame continues. “It is a dynamic and innovative white Krion® structure made up of a counter and bench. The absence of windows and drawers in this structure and in the wall opposite is notable: they are hidden behind, illuminated by brass discs to hide the technical area with its storage and the kitchen area, to prioritise the design.”
At the top of the hotel, the panoramic restaurant is located on the 18th floor. The kitchens, technical and service areas, in a similar way to those of the bar, are located on the lower floor and connected with the restaurant by lifts and dumbwaiters located behind the lounge-bar. The enormous windows offer 360° views. Lighting is ensured by countless LED lamps in a three dimensional wave pattern.
Finally, the Spa space, swimming pool and fitness zone are set out on two levels with a plant wall illuminated on one side by three skylights. They are separated from the saunas, from the boutique spa and changing rooms. On the upper floor the clients have the fitness area and on the second level the sauna space and relaxation zone.
A project designed by Studio Architetto Beltrame (Tarvisio, Italy)
Team – Luca Beltrame, Gabriele Pascutti and Erika Kosuta
Photography: Studio Architetto Beltrame
