.Wonder Book | Winter 2025

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Winter 2025

Winter 2025

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FEATURES

Winter 2025

04 YEAR X

18

Color stories Pure energy

Interviews

26

WONDER 12 Weil am Rhein | Doshi Retreat | Balkrishna Doshi 14 University of Texas at Dallas | Crow Museum of Asian Art | Morphosis Architects

PEOPLE Chad Oppenheim

22

PEOPLE Andrea Auletta

72

Design is a slalom… very special

116

PEOPLE India Mahdavi The art of crossing boundaries

Projects review

16 Marbella | Nota blu brasserie | Astet Studio

The Ritz-Carlton Masai Mara Safari Camp Kenya

68 Toronto | Suite 115 craft cocktail bar | Atelier Sun 26

110 Los Angeles | LAX Metro Transit Center

Grimshaw | Gruen Associates | Arup

112 Shanghai | Gate M West Bund Dream Center

MVRDV | AISA | Field Operations

114 Milan | Magma, Lubna, Scaramouche | Q-Bic

A front-row safari experience

Fairmont Golden Prague

34

Beyond hospitality: where art meets architecture

Azimut Yachts Avigliana, Italy

40

A complex organism

44

Palazzo Petrvs Orvieto, Italy A journey through time Højvangen Church Denmark

50

A modern approach to spirituality

Eisenhut Boutique Hotel Bolzano, Italy

54

Lively exterior, tranquil interior

Casa Sa Farola Menorca, Spain

58

Symmetry & serenity

Schloss Schauenstein

62

Fürstenau, Switzerland Layered histories

The Social Hub Florence & Rome

76

A ‘blended’ experience

The Waldorf Astoria New York

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Publisher & Editorial Director Paolo Bleve | bleve@ifdm.it

Managing Editor

Giulia Guzzini | giulia@ifdm.it

Deputy Editor, Features & Content Curator Alessandra Bergamini alessandra@ifdm.it

Editor-at-Large

Veronica Orsi | orsi@ifdm.it

Contributors

66 Toronto | POUTx | Studio Author 70 Bangkok | Cloud 11 | Snøhetta | A49 Architects

The architecture of emotion

Winter

84

Between preservation and metamorphosis

90

The 70s chic revival

Kimpton Los Monteros Marbella, Spain

Alessandro Bignami, Mariateresa Campolongo, Matteo De Bartolomeis, Manuela Di Mari, Elena Franzoia, Elena Luraghi, Francesca Oddo

International Contributor New York | Anna Casotti

Digital Editorial Team redazione@ifdm.it

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FEATURES

Winter 2025

    ifdmdesign

96

House of Dior Beverly Hills, USA

96

Serene and edenic

Villa Junot Paris

100 An experience between dream and reality Fondation Cartier Paris

104 A museum-machine BGF45 Bluegame Yachts

108 Sustainable soul, racing performance Aman Nai Lert Bangkok

120 A graceful urban retreat SAN Alia Yachts

128 Where the aft breathes Sauska Tokaj Winery Rátka, Hungary

134 A new winery in Tokaj’s UNESCO landscape The Jellicoe London

138 The different ‘worlds’ of work Rosewood Amsterdam

142 The “sense of place” Casa Fiori Chiari Versilia Marina di Pietrasanta, Italy

148 The hospitality revolution Shebara Resort Red Sea, Saudi Arabia

152 Where biophilia meets futurism

Short Stories

157 A wide view on major international projects

152

by Stefania Evans and Sabrina Sciama

Design inspirations

175 A selection of the most innovative products

for the contract sector by international brands

Next

185 A preview of the upcoming global projects NEXT IN THE WORLD

192 New top hotels: investments shift focus to the Far East On cover

The Waldorf Astoria New York Photo © Noë & Associates/The Boundary

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EDITORIAL

Winter 2025

Spaces in harmony

T

PAOLO BLEVE Publisher & Editorial Director

he collection of wonders for 2025 is completed by three interviews that are more like live lectures, a series of projects that are magically diverse, a sequence of “Great Beauties” that we don’t always get to present like this, all together, all so different, but all so exciting. The “emotional power of places” is the common thread that links the interviews with three completely different designers, who here in the Book find themselves at the same table, one that harmoniously combines the natural and the artificial: India Mahdavi, Andrea Auletta, and Chad Oppenheim. The challenge to memory is one of the recurring themes of this Wonder Book Winter: memory to be preserved, brought to the surface and enhanced, making ancient spaces contemporary and, in some cases, even futuristic and visionary. The absolute culmination of this challenge is reached by Villa Junot in Montmartre and Palazzo Petrvs in Orvieto, which represent two exciting round trips through time, but also Sa Farola in Menorca, Casa Fiori Chiari Versilia, the Rosewood Hotel, and Schloss Schauenstein – albeit with very different interpretations, but that is the beauty of design grammar – are ambassadors of the coexistence of old and new. Two breathtaking architectural designs (both playing on intersecting circles and round shapes) are undoubtedly the Hungarian one (but the designers’ hands have traveled around the world) of the Sauska Tokaj winery in the Tokaj-Hegyalja region, which UNESCO has listed as a World Heritage Site, and that of the Shebara Resort on the Red Sea, where

each bungalow looks like a spaceship faithfully following the direction indicated by the central building. Sustainability that respects the surroundings is represented by the Ritz-Carlton Masai Mara Safari Camp in Kenya, where, in the heart of the natural habitat, shapes and, above all, materials blend in with the context and respect its origins, as well as impressing with their architecture. A new interior design approach for a special church that focuses on social issues and attracts even those who do not profess a religion, examples of architecture and interiors where industrial style solves the design question, examples of high-level hospitality, and the naval sector, which never ceases to find new concepts. A final journey for this year with the promise of new and always interesting Wonders in 2026!

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Light inspired by beauty.

With the new collection of lamps inspired by its most iconic vases, Venini renews the art of glassmaking and elevates it through the transparencies and the wonderful shades of light. GRAN BALLOTON LUCE / Color: Milk White / Designer: Venini. BALLOTON LUCE / Color: Red / Designer: Venini. venini.com

CURATOR’S LETTER

Winter 2025

Designing metamorphosis

“T

ALESSANDRA BERGAMINI Deputy Editor

he purpose of design is to elevate the experience of being alive, to create spaces that connect us to nature and to ourselves. Form follows feeling. Structure follows life.” This is how Chad Oppenheim, founder of Miami-based Oppenheim Architecture, introduces and partly summarizes his architectural philosophy and design approach in the interview published in this Winter Wonder Book, which concludes the 2025 collection. Moving beyond the twentieth-century mantra Form follows function, design thinking evolves to integrate emotional states and behaviors, creating and transforming places and spaces that not only meet functional requirements but, more importantly, ignite real and lasting experiences of beauty, well-being, creativity, and connection.

The Form follows feeling approach is a way to interpret context, in the layering of its natural, geographical, historical, and social elements, and simultaneously to transform it into a different reality, both human-centric and nature-centric. Is the emotional power of a place, whether new or regenerated, also derived from the metamorphosis that design can generate within a specific context?

Many diverse examples of transformation are selected in this Wonder Book to seek an answer to this question: from The Social Hub in Florence and Rome to the Waldorf Astoria in New York, from the Azimut Headquarters to the Rosewood Amsterdam, from the Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain to Hotel Schloss Schaeustein, and also projects for The Fairmont Golden Prague, the Heisenhut Hotel, Villa Junot, and Casa Sa Farola.

By way of mimesis, one might add that Feeling follows metamorphosis, in a virtuous cycle where transformation reinterprets a place’s potential, adds value, and amplifies emotions.

And if design is metamorphosis towards a better future, fundamental elements of the transformation process are attention to natural elements and the integration of greenery, as unanimously affirmed by the three protagonists featured on the White Box page. “Integrating greenery thoughtfully allows architecture to nurture both the built environment and the communities that inhabit it,” says Lukas Rungger of Noa. “The integration of natural systems within the built environment is not merely an aesthetic exercise but a critical framework for generating spaces that are contextually resonant and culturally grounded,” adds Pooja Shah-Mulani of LW Design. “Introducing the plant world into our daily environments is no longer an option but a necessity: as we no longer live in nature, we must bring nature to us,” concludes Antonio Girardi of PNAT. Feeling also follows greenery.

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WHITE BOX

Winter 2025

Integrating nature, a design imperative Curated by: Alessandra Bergamini

POOJA SHAH- MULANI LW Design, managing partner & creative

T LUKAS RUNGGER NOA, founder & architect

I

ntegrating nature into design is a central concern for architects, as architecture fundamentally exists to provide protection from environmental conditions – shelter from heat, cold, sun, wind... Yet this very act of separation from the outside world is architecture’s paradox, as every building aims to frame, interpret, and enhance the context in which it resides. Greenery – or natural elements more broadly – thus becomes highly desirable, yet all too often it is treated as a mere cosmetic addition, applied only at the final stages of a project. At NOA, our approach has been different. In our latest urban development project, Renneria, vegetation is treated not just for its aesthetic quality but as a strategic design tool, particularly in creating social islands and fostering placemaking. Agricultural green spaces and community gardens that support private food production serve functions far beyond productivity: their accessibility and appeal foster gathering, belonging, and social interaction.

These green islands have the power to become vital meeting points and anchor a neighborhood’s identity, whether in an emerging district or in any new architectural development. Ultimately, integrating greenery thoughtfully allows architecture to nurture both the built environment and the communities that inhabit it.

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he integration of natural systems within the built environment is not merely an aesthetic exercise but a critical framework for generating spaces that are contextually resonant and culturally grounded. At LW Design, we maintain that architectural and interior interventions which disregard their ecological and socio-cultural surroundings inevitably produce outcomes that feel hollow, lacking in narrative, identity, and long-term relevance. Our approach therefore prioritises an analytical reading of place, ecology, and community as the basis for design.This methodology is exemplified by the Ritz-Carlton Masai Mara, where spatial planning, material selection, and artisanal collaborations were informed by the intrinsic logics of the savannah ecosystem. The project’s low-impact structures, Maasai-inspired forms, and locally produced craft embed the built environment within the region’s environmental and cultural continuum.

Similarly, the re-envisioning of Bab Al Shams draws from vernacular desert typologies, leveraging passive environmental strategies, courtyards, and tonal material palettes to strengthen the dialogue between interior space and the desert landscape. Through such projects, we argue that the integration of nature is an operational and ethical imperative, one that enhances environmental performance, strengthens cultural authenticity, and elevates the experiential quality of contemporary hospitality design.

P

ANTONIO GIRARDI Pnat, co-founder

lants are complex living technologies: intelligent systems capable of understanding, reacting to, and interacting with the environment in ways so intricate that they profoundly influence our well-being and health. Today, the most innovative way to design the spaces where we live, work, study, and heal is to reintegrate nature at the heart of architecture, making it a functional part of buildings, not merely a decoration.

Introducing the plant world into our daily environments is no longer an option but a necessity: as we no longer live in nature, we must bring nature to us. One of the main critical issues in our buildings is indoor air quality: we spend almost 80% of our time indoors, often in environments much more polluted than the outside. Yet, plants, when correctly integrated into a project, can significantly contribute to reducing pollutants and enhancing the physical, as well as psychological, well-being of those who inhabit those spaces.

In this field, one of the most radically innovative systems is Fabbrica dell’Aria: a botanical filtration technology that uses plants, roots, and microorganisms to naturally purify indoor air, leveraging the extraordinary biological capabilities of the plant world. This solution combines ecological sensitivity with scientific research, adding a direct, substantial, and measurable effect on air quality to the perceptual and sensory benefits of greenery. In offices, comfort and concentration improve; in schools, learning is facilitated; in hospitals, plants accompany the healing process; in homes, botanical technology makes what we breathe every day healthier. Valuing the intelligence of the plant world means paving the way for innovation that doesn’t impose itself on nature, but grows with it. No longer closed and inert spaces, but environments that breathe, react, and actively contribute to the well-being of their occupants. From this perspective, the future will be made of places that are more efficient and technologically advanced, but also more alive.

Shangai extendable table, Soffio chairs, Onda suspended sideboard, Techwall bookcase RIFLESSI STORE MILANO | BERGAMO | BRESCIA | ROMA | PESCARA | TORINO NAPOLI | BARI | REGGIO CALABRIA | PALERMO

Winter 2025

WONDER

WEIL AM RHEIN | DOSHI RETREAT | BALKRISHNA DOSHI The Vitra Campus recently unveiled a structure dedicated to contemplation, designed by Pritzker Prize laureate Balkrishna Doshi alongside Khushnu Panthaki Hoof and Sönke Hoof. Inspired by Indian spirituality,

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WONDER

© Julien Lanoo

it offers a sensory journey through sound and silence, marking Doshi’s first project outside India and his last before his passing in 2023.

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Winter 2025

WONDER

UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT DALLAS | CROW MUSEUM OF ASIAN ART | MORPHOSIS ARCHITECTS © Mauricio Rojas

The Museum in the Edith and Peter O’Donnell Jr. Athenaeum is the heart of the cultural district on the campus, aimed at fostering dialogue between art, architecture and academic research.

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Winter 2025

WONDER

MARBELLA | NOTA BLU BRASSERIE | ASTET STUDIO © Francisco Nogueira

Through the entrance, the high volume of this organic and geometric vestibule is filled with wood arches covered with leaves, aimed at creating a sensation of natural space.

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Wainscott Collection walterswicker.com

Winter 2025

COLOR STORIES

Pure energy A vibrant year awaits us, both literally and metaphorically, with colours ranging from yellows to blues and reds. Here’s a sneak peek at the colour trends for 2026, courtesy of ColorWorks Author: Veronica Orsi

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Trend

L

et’s end the year on a high note with the last five colours that preview next year’s trends.

As always, the guide is based on an analysis of emerging social movements. International experts at ColorWorks™ develop the annual ColorForward™ colour map, which translates future trends into 20 key colours organised into five visual stories.

Each story reflects an evolution in collective taste in response to cultural shifts and emerging consumer desires. The first three stories have already been featured in previous editions of the Wonder Book, but this latest edition takes us towards 2026 thanks to Roberto Romanin’s narrative. He is a senior designer at the ColorWorks™ design and technology centre. His predictions are invaluable for those who need to understand market trends, design collections and create products that reflect the aesthetics set to dominate in the coming months. They are also invaluable for those seeking creative inspiration from a familiar colour palette that will resonate with the public. Romanin explains that 2026 begins with lighter, more harmonious shades than this year, ushering in an era of energy, brightness, and fragile yet genuine optimism. Soft pastels and mid-tones take centre stage, replacing darker shades seamlessly. Neutrals, the protagonists of recent years, are transformed, remaining delicate yet acquiring subtle nuances that give them depth and distinction. The result is a balanced landscape in which warm and cool tones interact naturally while vibrant yellows and a range of reds take centre stage. A glimpse into the future reveals a clue about 2027: an important and almost inevitable return to neutrals. ColorForward 2026 therefore consists of the stories Wonderland, Bio-Funk, Viviendo de noche, and Carnival of fuels (told in episodes within each edition of the Wonder Book).

Wonderland identifies the growing search for escape and comfort, in a multitude of solutions ranging from fantasy to collectible games. Bio-funk takes us through some of the extraordinary information technologies for data processing, such as bio-computing.

Viviendo de Noche focuses on the problem of rising temperatures and heat waves that increasingly force us to adapt our daily schedules to different times of day - a factor that could contribute to the growth of the night-time economy. Now it’s time for Carnival of Fuels, the fourth and final story, which tells a more pragmatic tale: the search for alternative fuels that will help us meet the growing demand for electricity.

Winter 2025

HASTA LA ENERGIA SIEMPRE

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COLOR STORIES

NI-CO-CU WHERE ARE U=

Trend

EFFET TCHERENKOV

COLOR STORIES

Winter 2025

Trend

FOURTH STORY. CARNIVAL OF FUELS

By 2026, the world will have entered a new energy era, characterised by an intense search for new power sources. Today, the term ‘fuels’ encompasses more than just combustibles; it refers to the means by which we power our technological and social infrastructure to keep the world running. Energy powers the internet, artificial intelligence, electric mobility, and more broadly, the ecological transition. While we have been preaching moderation in consumption for years, reality is moving in the opposite direction.

We will need more electricity, more capacity – simply more energy. But for what? To electrify emerging countries, manage rising global temperatures and the growing number of data centres, and transition from fossil fuels to renewables (for example, from diesel cars to electric vehicles). Everything points to an inevitable need for power. Then there is artificial intelligence. By 2026, its energy consumption is expected to be ten times higher than in 2023. This leap will radically alter our relationship with electricity and render the energy transition a matter of technological survival. To be sustainable, the demand for power must come from a balanced mix of sources, including renewable energy, new technologies, and smarter resource management. Clean fuels are among the most promising solutions. The most notable of these is green hydrogen, which is produced by electrolysis of water, resulting in only water as a by-product. In theory, the entire process is environmentally friendly, leaving no impact on the environment. Although it is already used to some extent in the automotive and shipping industries, cost remains a challenge. Another promising solution is the new generation of small modular reactors (SMRs). These reactors are small and modular, and can be expanded over time.

They are also safer and cheaper. They are also easy to build. The first three are expected to be operational by 2026 in Argentina, China and Russia. Alongside the energy issue, the issue of raw materials also

SCREAM POWER

arises, such as the so-called ‘rare earths’: copper, lithium, nickel, cobalt, silicon, manganese and graphite.

These elements are the building blocks of modern life and are necessary not only for the technological infrastructure of the future, but also for everyday items such as smartphones, solar panels, batteries and computer chips. Finally, the social issue. The energy of the future must be accessible as well as innovative. Yet by 2030, over 660 million people are still at risk of not having access to electricity every day. This is a paradox in an era that is racing towards hyper-digitalisation. However, new initiatives are emerging, with renewable energy plants being built in places that were unthinkable just a few years ago.

One example is the new Hydrogen Factory, a hydrogen energy production hub in Namibia scheduled for completion in 2026. This scenario is framed by a colour palette that reflects the energetic mood of 2026. It starts with Asta la Energia Siempre, a very light blue that is transparent like the energy revolution, advancing slowly but surely. Scream Power is a fluorescent green-yellow that vibrates like a call for pure energy and increased production on a global scale. Effet Tcherenkov is a colour named after the scientific phenomenon of the traditional glow of uranium rods immersed in the core of nuclear reactors. The resulting light emission recalls this semitransparent colour in shades of blue. The critical technological materials are reflected in the colour Ni-Co-Cu where are U= (the chemical symbols for nickel, cobalt, bronze and uranium), which is translated into a light lilac glittering with the colour of lithium. Finally, Great Scott is a dark, elegant, warm and enveloping plum. The name is a reference to Back to the Future and is intended to recall 1980s science fiction cinema. 2026 will therefore be an energetic year, both literally and metaphorically, with an array of yellows, blues and reds. The trend for 2027 already hints at a notable return to neutrals.

GREAT SCOTT

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Winter 2025

PEOPLE

THE ARCHITECTURE OF EMOTION An architecture that feels the earth, light, climate, and culture. This is how architecture responds to its context not just physically, but emotionally, becoming timeless

“T

he emotional quality of architecture stems from the harmony between the natural and the artificial,” says Chad Oppenheim, the visionary architect who founded his eponymous Miami-based studio, Oppenheim Architecture, in 1999 with the aim of designing with sustainability and emotion at its core. “Feeling guides; geometry follows” is a creative philosophy that finds its essence in the genius loci and the culture of the land. This is manifested in exclusive private residences inspired by local topographies, earth-sculpted resorts like Desert Rock in Saudi Arabia, which he calls “perhaps the clearest expression of our philosophy,” and extending to the Ayla Golf Academy & Clubhouse in Jordan, nestled within an ancient and evocative organic form. These are hallmarks of a monumental architecture that harmoniously blends with pristine dunes, beaches, and deserts, using local materials and drawing on millennia-old cultures to narrate the very essence of each project.

author: Anna Casotti projects photo: Ayala Golf Clubhouse (Rory Gardiner); Desert Rock (Red Sea Global and Oppenheim Architecture); College of Europe - Tirana Campus & Signature Villa (Oppenheim Architecture)

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Chad Oppenheim

How would you describe your creative philosophy, and what principles have guided your projects since you founded Oppenheim Architecture in Miami in 1999?

My work has always grown from a sensitivity to how spaces make us feel. Early on, I realized architecture is not about formal vocabulary – it is about resonance. The purpose of design is to elevate the experience of being alive, to create spaces that connect us to nature and to ourselves. Form follows feeling. Structure follows life. The architecture must belong to its place. Since founding the studio in Miami in 1999, this has remained our guiding approach. Every project begins with an understanding of the spirit of the site. We listen to the land, to light, to climate, and to culture.

When architecture responds to context emotionally as well as physically, it becomes timeless.

What were your main sources of inspiration at the beginning of your career, and how have they evolved over time?

My inspiration comes from the emotional power of place. Travel has deepened that awareness. I move through the world as a cultural nomad – learning how different landscapes shape the lives of the people who inhabit them. Over time, I’ve become more focused on distillation: removing excess so the essential qualities of light, material, and landscape can come forward.

Looking back at your career to date – and the many awards you’ve received, such as the 2023 American Prize for Architecture – which of your projects do you consider the most representative of your idea of architecture?

Desert Rock in Saudi Arabia may be the clearest expression of our philosophy. The resort is carved directly into the Hejaz Mountains, sheltered by rock formations and cooled by the earth. We used excavated stone and sand from the site itself, allowing the architecture to visually merge with the terrain. The intention was always for the natural environment to remain the protagonist – the architecture simply reveals what was already there.

Winter 2025

PEOPLE

Chad Oppenheim

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Winter 2025

PEOPLE

Chad Oppenheim

Your architecture embodies a perfect balance between nature, artifice, and emotion. How does this dialogue come to life? And how important is the emotional factor for you?

The emotional quality of architecture arises from the harmony between the natural and the constructed. We design spaces that heighten awareness of temperature, breeze, shadow, texture – the elemental experiences of being human. When these are in balance, architecture becomes a vessel for presence and memory.

Environmental sustainability plays a leading role in your work – I’m thinking of recent projects such as House of Dune in the Bahamas, Desert Rock Resort in Saudi Arabia, and Bali Beach Resort. How does environmental impact influence your formal and material choices?

Environmental responsibility is not a technical consideration – it is the foundation. The form of a building must respond to climate, and the materials must come from or belong to their place. At House on a Dune in the Bahamas, a steep roof and breezeway maximize shade and natural ventilation, reducing reliance on mechanical cooling, and at Desert Rock, carved massing and earthberming create passive cooling and visual integration. Sustainability, for us, is learned from the land.

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From the top, clockwise: Ayala Golf Clubhouse, Aqaba, Jordan; Desert Rock Resort, Saudi Arabia; College of Europe - Tirana Campus; Signature Villa, Jalë Bay, Albania

Winter 2025

PEOPLE

In House on a Dune, for example, you used “eco-friendly” materials and a minimalist aesthetic that merges with the landscape. Do you believe a private residence can become a model for broader architectural approaches in sensitive environments?

Yes. Houses often serve as laboratories for new ecological approaches. When a home demonstrates how to live lightly and meaningfully within a sensitive landscape, the principles can scale – to hospitality, civic space, community planning.

The Desert Rock Resort complex in Saudi Arabia, on the other hand, aims to be deeply integrated with the land, microclimates, landscape, and local culture. What was the greatest challenge in this project?

The challenge was to create a luxurious experience without compromising the spirit or integrity of the mountains. This required rethinking construction: working with geologists, climate engineers, and local materials to let the land determine the architecture. The complexity of that effort is what allowed the result to feel effortless.

Desert Rock could also be described as architecture that literally disappears into the landscape. Do you think this methodology could – or should – become a new trend for the future of natural contexts?

In natural contexts, yes. The landscape is already complete. Architecture should reveal, not dominate. I believe the future of building in fragile environments will be quieter and more attuned – architecture that dissolves into the land.

Another example of extraordinary landscape integration in the desert is the organic architecture of Ayla Golf Academy & Clubhouse in Jordan.

Can you tell us about this project?

At Ayla in Jordan, we shaped the clubhouse as though wind had sculpted it from the desert.

Shotcrete, tinted with local minerals, allowed the building to merge with the surrounding mountains. Perforated corten screens reinterpret the mashrabiya, filtering light and air while connecting to regional tradition. The building is both geological and cultural.

You’ve said: “Design follows life, form follows feeling.” Could you explain its deeper meaning and how you translate that into your architecture?

Architecture begins with lived experience. If you

Chad Oppenheim

understand how a space should make someone feel – sheltered, inspired, grounded, connected – the form becomes an expression of that emotional truth. Feeling leads; geometry follows.

If you had to summarize your architectural practice in three words, what would they be?

Monumental. Minimal. Emotional.

In the past, architectural theory focused on the concepts of form and function. Today, the defining paradigm might be that there can be no aesthetics without ethics. What is your view on this?

There is no beauty without responsibility. To build today is to intervene in an interconnected world.

A work cannot be considered complete unless it contributes to ecological and cultural well-being.

Ethics and aesthetics are now inseparable.

What is your vision for the future of architecture in the next ten years?

The future is regenerative – architecture that restores what has been damaged, protects what remains, and elevates the human spirit through restraint, clarity, and reverence for place.

If you were to advise a young architect, what would be the most important lesson?

Listen – to the site, to climate, to culture. Don’t chase novelty. Seek essence. Remove everything that is unnecessary. Let the land lead.

What projects are you currently working on?

Can you reveal any of them?

We are working on resorts, wellness sanctuaries, and cultural spaces across the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Europe, Florida, the Caribbean, South America, and the American West. We are also developing an ecological super-yacht – conceived not as an object of display, but as a vessel for immersion. A way of experiencing the ocean with minimal environmental impact, where horizon, structure, and water become continuous.

What would be your dream project?

The dream remains the same: a place of profound natural beauty where we can do almost nothing – where the architecture is so attuned that it becomes simply a frame for the wonder that already exists. More important than that is having a client who is ready to make that happen.

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Winter 2025

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RESORT

Masai Mara, Kenya

RESORT

Winter 2025

Masai Mara, Kenya

A front-row safari experience The Ritz-Carlton Masai Mara Safari Camp has opened in Kenya, one of the world’s most spectacular destinations. Nestled within the National Reserve, it offers an intimate connection with nature and the region’s rich cultural heritage. The project was designed by LW Design

F

rom July to October, millions of wildebeest and zebras migrate between the Serengeti and the Masai Mara in Kenya, seeking fresh pastures. This epic migration unfolds against the backdrop of the Masai Mara National Reserve, home to abundant wildlife including lions, leopards, elephants, rhinos, and buffalo, alongside over 500 bird species. This breathtaking

spectacle is now visible from the new Ritz-Carlton Masai Mara Safari Camp, an exclusive vantage point literally embedded within the African reserve. It’s a unique opportunity not only to revel in majestic landscapes and fiery sunsets but also to forge a cultural bond with the Maasai community, deepen understanding of their ancient heritage, and witness centuries-old traditions.

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Winter 2025

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RESORT

Masai Mara, Kenya

Winter 2025

RESORT

Masai Mara, Kenya

Hotel operator: Ritz-Carlton Architecture: LW Design Frame tent architecture: East African Canvas Main contractor: Highmark Joinery: Nairobi Timber Interior design: LW Design in collaboration with Sarah Rowe of Northern Nomad Interiors Furnishings: Custom made, FF&E manufactured locally in Kenya Handwoven rugs and upholstery fabrics: Siafu Home Artists: Simon Bannister, Carol Beckwith, Angela Fisher, Ibrahim Muwanga, Gian Paolo Tomasi Author: Manuela Di Mari Photo credits: courtesy of Natelee Cocks

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Winter 2025

The connection between guest and environment is elevated through a masterplan meticulously orchestrated by LW Design, integrating ancient trees directly into the architectural footprint with a biophilic design approach. Twenty spacious suites exemplify exceptional immersive architecture: elevated three meters above ground, they utilize low-impact, labor-intensive construction techniques instead of heavy machinery. This allows wildlife to move freely underneath, simultaneously promoting natural vegetation regeneration and preserving soil health. Each unit serves

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RESORT

Masai Mara, Kenya

Winter 2025

RESORT

Masai Mara, Kenya

as an intimate treetop sanctuary, offering uninterrupted views of the riverine forest and vast savanna, with open-plan spaces where interior and exterior are separated by canvas rather than solid walls. An organic, curved tent structure, inspired by the bend of the Sand River and supported by local firms Highmark and East African Canvas, enhances daytime ventilation and porosity with nature. Guests can experience this close connection at all times, also through private terraces, infinity pools, lounges, indoor and outdoor showers.

Throughout the camp, wood and semi-volcanic stone dominate, paired with furnishings created in collaboration with Nairobi Timber joinery, and accessories crafted by local artisans. These include hand-woven rugs and textiles from Siafu Home, a Kenyan social enterprise, and Maasai beadwork, meticulously integrated into joinery details and tableware. A series of artworks further enrich the decor, once again weaving a narrative of the Masai Mara’s cultural and natural heritage.

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Winter 2025

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RESORT

Masai Mara, Kenya

Winter 2025

RESORT

Masai Mara, Kenya

IFDM | 33

HOTEL

Winter 2025

Prague

Beyond hospitality: where art meets architecture The former InterContinental Hotel, a Brutalist icon from ex-Czechoslovakia, has been reborn as the Fairmont Golden Prague Hotel.

This ambitious project was led

by TaK Architects, in collaboration with a large team of artists and designers

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he renovation of this abandoned building in Prague has proven to be a remarkable and virtuous undertaking, revitalizing its urban surroundings and engaging the local community with a host of cultural and social innovations. The former InterContinental Hotel, a testament to Prague’s Brutalist heritage and a prime example of a “total work of art,” has been restored to its function as a hospitality venue, but it’s now much more. A series of internal spaces – including restaurants, bars, and event venues – are now

open to the public, fostering an osmotic relationship with the city and becoming an integral part of the urban fabric. With this in mind, TaK Architects, the studio led by Marek Tichý that won the design competition for the hotel’s renovation, conceived several extensions to house additional public services. Among these is a transparent structure, enlivened by greenery, that guides visitors down to the Vltava River. This walkway offers a new vantage point from which to admire the city. It also hosts a pavilion dedicated to contemporary art, further

Winter 2025

HOTEL

Prague

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Winter 2025

contributing to the urban regeneration and cultural vibrancy of the area. At the core of the project was a desire to preserve the building’s memory wherever possible, while simultaneously connecting it with contemporary expressions, including sustainability. To achieve this, the designers recreated the foundational principles upon which the original InterContinental Hotel was conceived: the new intervention is rooted in a reinterpretation of the ‘Gesamtkunstwerk’ concept, which guided the building’s creation between the late 1960s and early 1970s. Just as architect Karel Filsak did back then, TaK Architects collaborated synergistically with over twenty leading figures from the country’s art scene. In a fluid and immersive interplay, historical artworks are juxtaposed with pieces by contemporary artists. This is evident from the moment one enters the lobby, where glass sculptures by Stanislav Libenský and Jaroslava Brychtová engage in a dialogue with Zdeněk Lhotský’s engraved vertical glass panels. At the entrance, a striking installation

by Jan Kukla, composed of six hundred luminous bars resembling a starry sky or a shower of light, triumphantly welcomes guests, foreshadowing the evocative experience of the space, now once again vibrant with life.

36 | IFDM

HOTEL

Prague

Winter 2025

HOTEL

Prague

Client: Three independent Czech investors – Pavel Baudiš, Eduard Kučera and Oldřich Šlemr Main contractor: Metrostav [Consortium D3 & D9] Interior design concept, FF&E: Richmond International Lighting consultants: ERCO, U1 Lighting Landscape and blue-green infrastructure: JENA, Treewalker Acoustic and AV media: Aveton Signage and wayfinding: Corlette Design Gastronomy: Gast-Po, Viewegh Gastro Team F&B concept: Gorgeous Group Art and typography: Studio Najbrt Author: Francesca Oddo Photo credits: BoysPlayNice

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Winter 2025

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HOTEL

Prague

THE GUEST EXPERIENCE CURATORS THE GUEST EXPERIENCE CURATORS

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La Bottega, Vanity Group, Palatino, Beltrami, White Privé, and Colosseo.

Through our integrated expertise across beauty, textiles, OS&E and our integrated expertise acrossCollective beauty, textiles, OS&E Through design-driven consulting, La Bottega partners withand the design-driven consulting, La Bottega Collective partners partner with the world’s most discerning hospitality clients, from hoteliers to developers world’s most discerning hospitality clients,journey from hoteliers to developers and designers, to transform the guest into memorable experiences. andBecause designers, to transform the guest journey into memorable experiences. excellence is never an accident.

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labottegacollective.com

Winter 2025

I

n the late 1990s, Gabetti & Isola, designers of Azimut Yachts’ headquarters in Piedmont, Liguria, and Tuscany, completed the Avigliana site. In 2025, after decades of production history, growth, and transformations, AMDL CIRCLE and Michele De Lucchi spearheaded the architectural project and artistic direction for the creation of a new building – the entrance pavilion – and the redevelopment of part of the existing office building in Avigliana. This intervention is part of a 50 million euro investment plan for the production site and responds to the evolution of Azimut’s working model towards a collaborative and team-based approach, one that transcends hierarchies even in the configuration of work environments. The restructuring plan also included the redevelopment of all employee offices – approximately 1,500 – designed by Settanta7, and improved energy efficiency. The AMDL Circle project positioned itself within this dialogue between past, present, and future, as Davide Angeli, director in charge, explains. “Working with existing structures is particularly special because it connects to themes of identity and history. You intervene on a layer, on a living foundation; you don’t sweep it away, you add to it. And this brings immense value to architecture.” The act of addition serves as the genesis of an architectural project envisioned as a journey through Azimut’s history and identity – a true heritage walk. The new entrance pavilion is a modern, essential volume of glass and metal, featuring transparent and reflective materials.

It leans against the brick body of the historic building, accessed by skirting a linear water basin from which suspended models of Azimut’s “firsts” emerge, a tribute to the numerous stylistic and technological innovations of Azimut yachts.

From the reception and waiting lounge – open, 40 | IFDM

HEADQUARTERS

Avigliana, Italy

A complex organism At the Azimut Yachts shipyard in Avigliana, the AMDL Circle project delved into architectural addition and layering, physical and conceptual transparency, the working model, and the deeply innovative history of the company and brand

Client: Azimut Yachts Architecture and interior design: AMDL CIRCLE and Michele De Lucchi; Settanta7 Author: Alessandra Bergamini Photo credits: Rasmus Hjortshøj

Winter 2025

HEADQUARTERS

Avigliana, Italy

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reconfigurable spaces illuminated by large windows – the journey continues on the ground floor of the existing building. Here, objects and elements narrate the shipyard’s story, from the engine of Paolo Vitelli’s first boat to a photographic gallery tracing the company’s 50-year history and its many innovations in design, technology, and communication. The journey then leads to the third floor, home to the boardroom and three meeting rooms, named Gogamigoga, Goga, and Goghina, after Paolo Vitelli’s boats.

“We connected the three separate turret volumes with corridors, glass panels, and loggias, creating a new glazed walkway that is both internal and external, thanks to a green terrace. This walkway is designed to open up to the surrounding environment, to the mountains, but also to the very heart of the company – the production shipyards – and to the territory where this entity was born, grew, and continues to thrive.” Like a complex living organism, possessing a strong personality and an ever-evolving identity.

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HEADQUARTERS

Avigliana, Italy

Designed for Work.

Inspired by architecture.

www.fantoni.it

ALIS by Park

Winter 2025

HOTEL

A journey through time Palazzo Petrvs in Orvieto is a rare kind of small hotel – a place where the Renaissance meets the contemporary, and where dinner is served in a former church

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Orvieto, Italy

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ust a few steps from Orvieto’s magnificent Duomo, Palazzo Petrvs – a hotel born from the restoration of a 15th-century building, with a project signed by Giuliano Andrea Dell’Uva – stands as the manifesto of an aesthetic vision that weaves together history and modernity, memory and imagination. When the architect first visited, the Renaissance palazzo appeared to have little architectural value. “The first thing I wanted to understand,” recalls Dell’Uva, “was whether there were still any historical traces left.” That curiosity led to a meticulous process

Winter 2025

HOTEL

Orvieto, Italy

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Winter 2025

of excavation and restoration, revealing wooden ceilings, 16th-century inscriptions, and Renaissance motifs long concealed by centuries of careless alterations. The outcome was so significant that, once the work was completed, the Superintendence for Heritage decided to list the building as a protected monument. The project is far more than a restoration: it is a reinterpretation of identity. Walls painted in textured, “Renaissanceinspired” hues are juxtaposed with sleek partitions of glass and metal. In the interiors, Dell’Uva orchestrates a dialogue of eras and languages, combining 19th-century furniture with Danish lamps from the 1960s, contemporary works by Michele Guido with Italian design pieces by Tobia Scarpa or Draga & Aurel. “Using pieces from different periods softens the contrast between history and modernity,” he explains, “and creates the atmosphere of a real home, where things accumulate naturally over time.” The transformation extends to the communal areas and the inner courtyard, redesigned as a material theatre where terracotta and bucchero coexist – the distinctive black ceramic of Etruscan origin that was first produced in this region, a symbol of a living, evolving memory. “Working with bucchero, a material so

46 | IFDM

HOTEL

Orvieto, Italy

Winter 2025

HOTEL

Orvieto, Italy

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Winter 2025

HOTEL

Orvieto, Italy

deeply rooted in the territory, has been one of the most satisfying parts of the project,” says the architect. Dell’Uva also oversaw the restoration of the adjoining church, now home to the Coro restaurant, where the simplicity of the intervention enhances the sacred character of the space: cocciopesto floors, custom-designed tables, and suspended light fixtures that descend from the lofty ceilings like graphic signs, illuminating the scene with quiet reverence. With its nine suites, cocktail bar, and restaurant, Palazzo Petrvs offers Orvieto a fragment of its own history, transformed into an experience. A place where pietra serena stone converses with raw iron, where the Renaissance meets Nordic design – the new chapter in a story that has been unfolding for centuries.

Architecture and interior design: Giuliano Andrea dell’Uva Architetti Furnishings: custom-made, combined with vintage pieces from various galleries Lighting: custom-made, combined with vintage pieces and contemporary collectible designs Author: Ruben Modigliani Photo credits: Nathalie Krag, Pedro Mourandiniz, Federica Santeusanio

48 | IFDM

Luxury furniture + performance fabrics, rugs, wallcoverings and trims I perennialsandsutherland.com

Winter 2025

CHURCH

A modern approach to spirituality The Højvangen Church in Denmark, designed by Henning Larsen, was conceived as a ‘covered square’ – a space for everyone, fostering both quiet contemplation and community interaction

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Højvangen, Denmark

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his marks the first time in five hundred years that a church has been built in Skanderborg. The architects responded to this unique opportunity with an approach that redefines the relationship between architecture and spirituality, sensitive to the evolution of contemporary society. The design primarily leverages light to create a serene environment, as Eva Ravnborg, Director, explains: “Light was a central design driver for us. It’s more than a physical element – it brings a calm, almost spiritual quality to the space.”

In this new church, the traditional concept of penance – which often influenced the design of places of worship in the past – gives way to an inclusive welcome, where moments of joy and sorrow can be experienced both communally and individually.

Winter 2025

CHURCH

Højvangen, Denmark

This openness translates into a democratic and flexible spatial arrangement, with the baptismal font being the only fixed element. The facades themselves, devoid of ornamentation or formal classifications, reflect a deliberate choice to avoid monumentalization, instead embracing a design philosophy that views the church as a home for everyone. The church space is conceived as an inclusive venue for gathering and socializing, as well as for prayer and reflection. People are central to this design, which is intended to host not only religious services but also cultural events and informal meetings. The choice of materials – brick, oak, and brass – contributes to a warm and inviting atmosphere. Clean, linear, and luminous, the space encourages both quiet contemplation and social interaction. “A place of worship is a civic anchor,” explains Greta Tiedje, Global Design Director at Henning Larsen. “We designed it to be part of the everyday, a space where people can gather across generations and beliefs and find meaning through shared experience. That’s where real life happens.” This philosophy also informed the decision to incorporate large glass surfaces, establishing an osmotic relationship with the community and the surrounding greenery.

Client: Skanderborg Parish Architecture: Henning Larsen & Espen Surnevik Landscape architecture: Schul Landskab & Planlægning Engineering: Ramboll Author: Francesca Oddo Photo credits: Rasmus Hjortshøj

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Winter 2025

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CHURCH

Højvangen, Denmark

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Lively exterior, tranquil interior A new ‘home’ has opened its doors in the vibrant heart of Bolzano, South Tyrol, ready to welcome guests from across the globe.

This is the Eisenhut Boutique Hotel, a vision brought to life by Architekten Mahlknecht Comploi

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he clients’ ambition was to infuse the intimate and welcoming hotel with the refined ambiance of a stately home. In reimagining the historic palace, Thomas Mahlknecht and Igor Comploi, the architects tasked with realizing this vision, meticulously preserved the original facade and the stone walls of the entrance hall. They then re-envisioned the building’s interior, dividing it into three distinct sections linked by elegant walkways. These interstitial spaces, envisioned as ‘green lungs’ between the sections, draw in natural light and provide essential ventilation. The overarching concept was to recreate the essence of a ‘home,’ evoking the memory of Bolzano’s characteristic Lichthöfe – the inner courtyards of old city-center palaces – while reinterpreting the interiors with a contemporary sensibility.

This dialogue between past and present thus defines the hotel, with spaces that unfold through a series of 54 | IFDM

HOTEL

Bozen, Italy

Winter 2025

HOTEL

Bozen, Italy

analogies and reinterpretations. Further enhancing this interplay is the photographic work of Elisa Cappellari, created in collaboration with Igor Comploi.

Her series of shots captures the intimate essence of the historic city center’s hidden courtyards, bringing to light the often-unseen domestic dimension.

These images reveal customs, the ways of inhabiting space, and everyday stories that persist within these secluded urban oases. To evoke a warm and enveloping atmosphere, the selection of materials and color palettes was paramount. In the common areas – designed to flow seamlessly from one to the next – local stone and natural elm wood are harmoniously combined. In contrast, the guest rooms feature customdesigned and crafted furnishings in rich, burnished oak. Furnishings, wall coverings, intricate details, and textiles all contribute to a cohesive palette of harmonious shades, ranging from beige and dove gray to warm browns. The aim is to create an atmosphere that truly fosters relaxation and well-being.

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Winter 2025

Client: Moritz Sanoner and Lisa Prast Architecture: Architekten Mahlknecht Comploi Furnishings: Custom-made, designed by the architects Outdoor furniture: Pedrali Lighting: Intra Lighting, Light-Point, Vibia, Wever & Ducre Bathrooms: Cisal, Diceramica, Fir Italia, Geberit, Glass Design, GSI Ceramica, Tubes Flooring: Florim Author: Francesca Oddo Photo credits: Alex Filz

56 | IFDM

HOTEL

Bozen, Italy

Busnelli Studio

A frame for discovering Busnelli’s vision in its purest form.

AD Daniele Lo Scalzo Moscheri Ph. Matteo Imbriani

Busnelli Studio Corso Europa, 22 - 20121 Milano T. +39 02 09954164 E. info@busnelli.com | busnelli.com

Winter 2025

58 | IFDM

RESIDENCES

Menorca, Spain

RESIDENCES

Winter 2025

Menorca, Spain

Symmetry & serenity Infused with the colors of the Mediterranean and Menorca, the transformation project of Casa Sa Farola enhances the building’s history through a contemporary vision, improving the functionality of both interiors and exteriors, and creating spaces filled with light and harmony

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he symmetry and order of the garden with its pool, which leads to the house, divided into two sections by low, white walls, along with the symmetry and serenity of the main facade – featuring four imposing columns and a wide portico topped by a pediment – invite entry.This is true even though, just a short distance away, the sea view of Sa Farola bay, near Ciutadela port, draws the eye and the foot. The house, named for its coastal location, is a 19th-century dwelling transformed by Menorcan architect Carme Carretero into a residence of classical beauty and contemporary character.

The classical and original exterior composition, pristine white and noble, remains, despite a complex structural intervention that transformed the basement level into a ground floor, opened up to the perimeter and the rear garden by large French doors.

This expansion created larger and brighter interior spaces. Mediterranean natural light is one of the foundational elements of the contemporary character of the functional and spatial reimagining desired by the owner and the architect. On the first floor, a vast open-plan space seamlessly accommodates the kitchen, the massive dining table, and the living area.

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Winter 2025

Highlighting the volume’s spaciousness are the large round artwork with two angels (guardians of the place) positioned on the wall beneath the roof ridge, a very long built-in counter, and two towering custom-designed bookshelves made from reclaimed *melis* wood. The use (and reuse) of high-quality local materials is another sign of contemporaneity and, at the same time, attention to the island’s historical and geographical context: *mares* stone, wild olive or oleander wood, and ceramics. These are complemented by pristine white walls, typical Menorcan green tones, built-in bathrooms and wardrobes, curved and organic lines, and the fusion of craftsmanship and furniture design, particularly the lamps

by Let’s Pause. As Carme Carretero explains, “these elements, with their authenticity and natural texture, enrich the spaces by telling a story of roots, tradition, and sustainability. Furthermore, they add a visual and tactile contrast that enhances the white-dominated interiors.” “Regarding functionality,” the architect continues, “we chose to open up the spaces and create a modern layout that maximizes natural light, ensuring all rooms have direct access to the outdoors.”

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RESIDENCES

Menorca, Spain

Architecture and interior design: Carme Carretero Furnishings and lighting: selected handmade and vintage pieces; on design by the architect; Let’s Pause Author: Alessandra Bergamini Photo credits: Maria Algara Photography

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Winter 2025

HOTEL

Fürstenau, Switzerland

Layered histories Space Copenhagen’s renovation of Schloss Schauenstein, a historic castle nestled in the Swiss Alps, unveils its rich past while transforming it into an exclusive boutique hotel with a Michelin-starred restaurant. The project sensitively balances memory and contemporary design

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orn as a defensive stronghold in the 12th century, Schloss Schauenstein has, over centuries, embraced countless stories and individuals, evolving its appearance without ever losing its profound essence. Today, its spirit is beautifully expressed through the sensitive design by one of Denmark’s most acclaimed architectural studios. The castle is located in Fürstenau, a small village home to just over three hundred inhabitants. After its military origins, Schloss Schauenstein served as a private residence, then a college, and later a gathering place for artists and intellectuals. For several years now, it has been owned by Michelin-starred chef Andreas Caminada, who operates it as a luxury hotel and restaurant. This is where Space Copenhagen entered the scene, tasked with revitalizing the castle’s image to suit its new purpose. The intervention focuses on a dialogue between past and present, aiming to forge connections between history and contemporary living. It is within this temporal flow that the castle’s new identity takes shape. Central to the design is also the relationship between the built environment and the surrounding landscape, interpreted through materials like stone and wood, and a color palette featuring muted greens and rust tones, echoing the textures of the mountains and the changing seasons.

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Winter 2025

HOTEL

Fürstenau, Switzerland

Interior design: Space Copenhagen Bespoke reception desks, dining and lounge tables, cabinets, bar: on design by Space Copenhagen Furnishings: Artilleriet Ateliers, B&B Italia, Bonacina 1889, Cassina, De La Espada, De Sede, FRAMA, Fredericia furniture, GUBI, Knoll, Massimo, Michael Anastassiades, RH, Sika design, Studio Oliver Gustav, &Tradition Lighting: 1stDibs, Cassina, Karakter Copenhagen Fabrics: Dedar, Kirkby, Kvadrat, Sahco, Skandilock Leather: De Sede, Søresen Leather Author: Francesca Oddo Photo credits: Joachim Wichmann

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Winter 2025

The designers’ delicate approach is evident from the moment one enters the hall, where ancient stone walls are balanced by soft materials like linen and wool in the furnishings. In the restaurant, rough-hewn walls form a backdrop where soft lighting casts shadows, highlighting the silhouettes of chairs crafted from wood, leather, and fabric. The bar features a blend of newly conceived furnishings and restored original castle pieces. The guest rooms, each unique, feel like serene retreats where time seems suspended, and elegance is expressed through understated simplicity.

Against a backdrop of stone and wood walls, furnishings include bespoke elements designed by the studio and modern design icons. The muted tones of the cladding materials – soft grey, burnt orange, forest green – subtly emphasize the connection to nature, evoking valleys, mountains, and forests. As Signe Bindslev Henriksen, co-founder of Space Copenhagen, comments: “Each room is a study in understated elegance, deliberately stripped of excess to let the architecture, and the guest’s own experience, breathe.”

64 | IFDM

HOTEL

Fürstenau, Switzerland

In-Materia Collection.

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Winter 2025

WONDER

TORONTO | POUTX | STUDIO AUTHOR A bold use of colour blocking redefines the injectables clinic experience. Immersive pink envelops the guest, with micro-cement finished floor and walls, and a matching pink ceiling, accompanied by

66 | IFDM

WONDER

© Niamh Barry Photography

red accents and clinical stainless-steel millwork. The neon, vertical tube lighting and convex mirrors increase the perception of space, further manipulating light and colour.

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Winter 2025

WONDER

TORONTO | SUITE 115 CRAFT COCKTAIL BAR | ATELIER SUN © Joel Esposito

Golden light emits from a slim, linear pendant spanning the length of the room, illuminating the bar counters, while a linear light cuts through the walls and ceiling to divide the space in two.

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Winter 2025

WONDER

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Winter 2025

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PEOPLE

Andrea Auletta

Winter 2025

DESIGN IS A SLALOM… VERY SPECIAL A story full of obstacles, major rejections and leaps into the unknown in search of his own dimension: this is Andrea Auletta, a life full of changes of direction, a designer who earned the opportunity to work with a “master” of design, but who did not stop there and chose a path full of twists and turns, where he found his design rhythm

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iscreet and reserved in life, gently determined in his profession, Andrea Auletta recounts the many accelerations of his heartbeat with a smiling sobriety. From the stormy period of his studies and his abandonment of the Polytechnic, to sudden changes of direction and choices that went against the grain: a mix of experiences in just a few years accompanied by a series of sliding doors that he passed through with courage and awareness. What is striking about Andrea Auletta is the simplicity with which he recounts even clearly complex matters, and his desire to build a bubble that encompasses technique, creativity, freedom of thought, and romanticism.

author: Matteo De Bartolomeis portrait photo: Alessandro Moggi projects photo: Hotel Gabrielli, Venice (Mattia Aquila, Martino Dini); Hotel Columbus, Florence (Stefano Scatà)

PEOPLE

Andrea Auletta

You studied under Andrea Branzi, who is primarily a product designer, but you are primarily a hotel designer: what led you to take this direction?

I studied architecture, one year in Venice and one year in Milan, but I felt constrained by the environment and the course. Architecture was very different then compared to today, so I started looking around for other educational options, such as IED and Domus Academy. One day, I told my father that I wanted to change and suggested IED. My father was a lawyer, and for him, a degree was an essential goal. At the time, IED was a revolutionary institution. This was in the early 1990s, but he supported me. It was a powerful experience, very different from how it is now. The course lasted four years, and the school was full of foreigners from Chile, Japan, the US, and Colombia.

The program was rich and much more exciting than at the Polytechnic. At a certain point, a friend of my father’s showed up and told him he wanted to introduce me to Andrea Branzi. I went to see Branzi. I was 22 years old. I remember wearing a suit and tie.

He welcomed me into his studio, and we had a chat.

I started the internship and he told me two things: “You can call me by my first name and don’t come dressed like that anymore.” Then he gave me a sketch that I couldn’t understand at the time and asked me to make him a model. I looked at this sheet of paper, turning it over and over, wondering what it was. It was a chaise longue. I did the drawing first and then made the model. “No, make the model first because it has to grow in your hands so you understand the proportions.” That’s where it all started. Andrea’s was a family studio, like my current small one. There was his wife, one of his daughters, and the guys I worked with. It was a workshop, an incredible thing. They had also set up the Italian design exhibition at the Triennale in 1995: I made the model of the chaise longue working day and night, we photographed it, the chaise longue was made as a unique piece, the vernissage was in an art gallery in Milan, and the photo I saw on display was not that of the physical object, but that of my model. It was an intense experience; I worked with him for two and a half years.

Today, the commercial and economic aspects obviously prevail. Even then, economics were important, but there was something much stronger at the core that was clearly felt and very beautiful.

IFDM | 73

Winter 2025

Then something happened...

Yes, it happened that a friend of my father’s – my story is full of these kinds of things – was the owner of Starhotels. He invited me to attend a few meetings, to hear what was being said and breathe a different air. In the meantime, I was working and studying; it was my last two years at IED. I went to the meeting, then I went back once a week, which quickly became three times a week. I went from pure creativity to pure rationality, the opposite. It was my first experience with an environment full of rules: at the time, Starhotels had Jolly Hotel as its model, with the same room replicated everywhere.

I wondered what I was doing there. In 2001, his daughter Elisabetta arrived. She came from New York with a different vision and wanted to change everything. I, who had ‘Branzi inside me’, was immediately attracted. She told me, ‘We are redesigning a hotel in Bologna in front of the station’. It was a four-star business hotel, and I had to transform it completely, especially the common areas. At night, I woke up with the idea for the bar, this particular bar that is still there, this bar connected to a large table, like a modern refectory. The next morning, I talked to Elisabetta about it, and she was enthusiastic. And from there, a new story began.

You started talking about sustainability in unsuspecting times.

Sustainability can mean many things. In 2011, I created the Echo Hotel in Milan, which was the first sustainable hotel. It is still in operation and is exactly as I designed it. Sustainability in the hotel industry is complicated: a hotel is omnivorous, it is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, it must provide comfort to its guests, and it consumes without pause. You have to accept some compromises, but every time you have to do something in the direction of green: I remember at the Echo Hotel there was also a food bank and we designed a system to recover the soapy water we used for rinsing catheters. The difference is made by the entrepreneur, however; the designer can only go so far. But a small thing multiplied by 24 hours and 365 days begins to be no longer small.

The latest addition is the Gabrielli in Venice.

We opened it on August 25. It was the longest project I have ever done, taking four years between design and completion. We recovered almost 700 Murano wall lights and chandeliers that decorated the old Gabrielli, had them restored, and repositioned them in a different way. For me, this represented a 74 | IFDM

PEOPLE

Andrea Auletta

Winter 2025

PEOPLE

Andrea Auletta

link with what had existed before, and there is a sense of sustainability: if I can, I don’t throw things away, I recover them. Then wonderful things happen: it’s the end of August, the Gabrielli has just opened, and I receive an email from a foreign lady who lives in Venice. I thought it was a complaint or criticism, but instead the email read as follows “I am a lady who lives around here and walks her dogs around the hotel. For years, I have seen the chandeliers and antique furniture being taken out of the hotel to make way for the renovation work, then I see the chandeliers and antique furniture coming back and rekindling this place that was gray and dark, to which you have given new life. This is priceless.

Your projects are ambitious, but is there room in your heart for a simple, affordable hospitality project, still in the “Auletta style”?

Many years ago, Elisabetta Fabri and I talked about the possibility of creating a chain of three-star hotels, but three-star hotels that were interesting and contemporary. I really believe in this, because hospitality has boomed today, and for me, hospitality is the fashion in design. We experiment as fashion experiments, we experiment, and then many people who go to hotels say, “What a great idea, I want it in my home too.” Four- and five-star hotels have become difficult to access from an economic point of view. A democratic, well-designed three-star hotel that is low-maintenance and therefore sustainable from an economic point of view. All you need is a small corner for breakfast, but with comfortable rooms and a mood that goes beyond the concept of student accommodation, which for me is still another planet. I think it’s a great project. We need to find an entrepreneur who shares this vision.

Opposite page: top, Suite, Hotel Gabrielli, Venice. Suite, Hotel Columbus, Florence

This page: top, 1996, Galleria Argentaurum, Antwerp, chaise longue, Andrea Branzi. Suite Deluxe, Hotel Imperiale, Rome

Is there a project you’ve seen that you would have liked to do yourself ?

No, but I have a project in my heart that I would like to do, but I don’t know if this dream will come true.

Some time ago, some of my clients took me to visit a property here in Milan that used to be a school, but is no longer. It was my school, my kindergarten when I was a child, then elementary and middle school. It’s actually rented out, and they wanted to turn it into a hotel. I visited all the old classrooms, the principal’s office, I took lots of photos, the kindergarten bathrooms, all in mosaic, a work of art. This is my lifelong dream: to be able to transform a place where I took my first steps and studied. Unfortunately, the operation was not successful, but the property is still there.

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MIXED USE

A ‘blended’ experience Urban regeneration, environmental and social sustainability, publicly accessible areas.

Inside and out, the spaces conceived for The Social Hub seek connections – between short- and long-term guests, with local residents, and with the dynamics of the city.

This is clearly demonstrated by the new facilities in Florence and Rome

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Florence & Rome

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ith the 2025 openings and four properties across Bologna, Florence, and Rome, Italy is set to become the second-largest market for The Social Hub group. Since 2012, the group has been spreading its urban hybrid hospitality model across Europe (Netherlands, Austria, France, Germany, Portugal, United Kingdom, and Spain), with 21 ‘hubs’ combining 4-star hotels, long-stay and student apartments, co-working spaces, event venues, and F&B. This model has evolved over time to integrate fundamental urban themes such as the regeneration of disused areas, public-private dialogue, environmental and social sustainability, connection with the local community, and the creation of publicly accessible areas like parks and panoramic terraces.

Winter 2025

MIXED USE

Florence & Rome

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The two facilities inaugurated in Italy in 2025 – Florence Belfiore in early February and Rome San Lorenzo in late March – are successful examples of this approach. Located in the San Jacopino district, near the future high-speed train station, Florence Belfiore was completed after extensive redevelopment interventions. These included land reclamation, underground parking, a cycling path, and a new 9-story architectural complex (with 4 underground levels), based on a recovery plan signed by Natalini Architetti with S.IN.TER. The two buildings, with a fragmented volume composed of different elements, are separated by an open-air gallery at street level but connected at the roof garden level by two suspended bridges, accessible via a striking metal staircase positioned in the center of the gallery. In addition to 550 rooms of various types, the Hub offers over 3,300 sqm of co-working space, underground parking, flexible educational and conference areas, a 24/7 gym, the Ammodino restaurant, a bakery, a 50-meter rooftop pool with a bar, and a public hanging garden.

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MIXED USE

Florence & Rome

Winter 2025

MIXED USE

Florence & Rome

Designed by Antonio Perazzi, the garden features approximately 500 sqm of lawn, a long wisteria pergola, 3,500 perennial plants, over 600 shrubs (selected for low water consumption and high CO2 and fine dust absorption capacity), and about fifty trees to naturally reduce ambient temperature. A public park is also at the heart of the 24,000 sqm regeneration project completed for The Social Hub Rome in the former San Lorenzo freight yard area, with a masterplan by Matteo Fantoni Architetti. An initial building, constructed by Angiolo Mazzoni in 1924, has been restored

by Engeko and for several months has housed the Accademia Italiana, School of Fashion, Design, Applied Arts, Graphics, and Photography. The second building, however, is newly constructed, with seven floors above ground and one underground. Its V-shape utilizes the depth of the plot to fill the urban void and integrate among railway arches, concealing the elevated ring road like

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a curtain and opening the park towards the main entrance. A true urban bio-architecture intervention, the 10,000 sqm public park was conceived as a sustainable and inclusive oasis that promotes biodiversity and mitigates urban pollution, featuring permeable paving, landscape modeling with small hills, lawn areas, over 300 trees, shrubs, plants, flowers, illuminated benches, swings, and rocking chairs. The project, also designed by Antonio Perazzi, included the recovery of the tracks from the former railway hub, now transformed into a drought-resistant garden inspired by the spontaneous flora that inhabits abandoned infrastructures. The new architecture houses a 4-star hotel with 392 rooms for stays ranging from one night to a year, bars, restaurants, 7 meeting and event spaces, a 24-hour gym, a panoramic rooftop terrace with a pool, communal kitchens, laundry facilities, and co-working space for over 160 people, divided into 15 private offices, dedicated desks, and flexible workstations. Rizoma Architetture handled

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MIXED USE

Florence & Rome

Winter 2025

MIXED USE

Florence & Rome

FLORENCE BELFIORE Urban masterplan and architectural design: Natalini Architetti with S.IN.TER. Landscape design: Antonio Perazzi Interior design: Rizoma Architetture ROME SAN LORENZO Masterplan and architectural design: Matteo Fantoni Architetti Architects of record: Studio Speri Project and construction management: ITS Controlli Tecnici Landscape design: Antonio Perazzi Interior and lighting design: Rizoma Architetture Author: Alessandra Bergamini Photo credits: courtesy of The Social Hub

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the interior design for both structures. In Rome, the architects sought an atmosphere of “Blended Harmony,” particularly on the vast ground floor where different environments are connected by portals and arches, flowing seamlessly into a fluid narrative. Each space possesses its own identity, characterized by chromatic coherence, alternating materials, warm and earthy colors, and a decorative lighting project that evokes intimacy and harmony. Florentine elegance, combined with a “human-centric” approach, inspired Florence Belfiore’s common areas. Balance, craftsmanship, beauty, and natural materials distinguish the choices of finishes and furnishings in ‘free-flow’ spaces that encourage dynamism and interaction among people, within functional and welcoming areas. Multifunctional elements like The Podium, The Tribune, and The Marquees define the spatial hierarchy and clear recognizability.

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MIXED USE

Florence & Rome

Winter 2025

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HOTEL

New York

Winter 2025

HOTEL

New York

Between preservation and metamorphosis The grandeur of New York’s Golden Age is reborn at Waldorf Astoria New York through an architectural reinterpretation that blends the Art Deco imagery, which has shaped the city’s cultural narrative since 1931, with contemporary sensibilities

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he iconic and legendary Waldorf Astoria has reopened its doors, revealing monumental marble geometries and interior sequences that have been restored to their former glory. This extensive restoration project was led by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), with interior design by Pierre-Yves Rochon and residential designs by JeanLouis Deniot. With the aim of preserving its rich history, the New York-based firm SOM integrated concepts of conservation, restoration, and adaptive reuse, following in-depth archival research and close collaboration with the Landmarks Preservation Commission. This approach ensured the integrity of the original 1931 design was maintained while preparing the building for the future. The hotel’s interior design, masterfully executed by Pierre-Yves Rochon, creates a spatial sequence where intimate, secluded entrances lead into expansive, luminous volumes.

In a rare dialogue between meticulous preservation and metamorphosis, the spaces have rediscovered their imposing presence and identity. Steeped in a tradition that includes some of the world’s most memorable moments – from the first Tony Awards and early Met Galas to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony – the iconic Grand Ballroom, Silver Corridor, Astor Salon, and the Basildon and Jade rooms have all been returned to their original grandeur. Peacock Alley, the hotel’s vibrant heart and a beloved gathering place for New Yorkers, a stage for encounters and stories, rediscovers its beauty with the restoration of the iconic Waldorf Astoria Clock and Cole Porter’s piano. Meanwhile, the destination gourmand experiences at Lex Yard and Yoshoku transform cuisine into a sensory extension of the space. “The Greatest of Them All” – as Conrad Hilton described the historic building – returns to its 1930s magnificence thanks to the IFDM | 85

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meticulous work of artists and master artisans, once again redefining the global benchmark for luxury hospitality. “The Waldorf Astoria New York is, on many levels, the most important hotel in the world.

It is the first true luxury hotel and the place where the very concept of luxury service was perfected. It represents not only a fundamental part of Hilton’s history but also of modern history,” stated Chris Nassetta, President and CEO of Hilton. To seal the luxury experience of the Waldorf Astoria’s new era, the number of hotel rooms has been reduced from 1,400 to 375, complemented by 372 residences.

These residences, averaging around 53 square meters, are among the largest in Manhattan. Conceived

by PYR as authentic residential “homes,” they feature soft lines in custom-made furnishings, neutral palettes, and separate zones for living, working, and sleeping, delivering a dimension of discreet luxury.

The generously sized bathrooms are designed as mini-spas for personal well-being. In a dimension that exudes excellence, the collaboration between 86 | IFDM

HOTEL

New York

Winter 2025

HOTEL

New York

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Waldorf Astoria and La Bottega Collective – a global player born from the vision of Tommaso Pacini, dedicated to personalized, high-end guest experiences – brings creativity, heritage, and craftsmanship to the hotel: from bed linen to towels by Beltrami – a luxury textile company based in Bergamo – to bespoke accessories by Palatino, a brand based in Hong Kong and Paris, specializing in creating exclusive supplies and equipment. In an exquisite balance of rigor and lightness, the recently opened and most impressive Guerlain Wellness Spa is set to become the most exclusive address for rejuvenation. Located above the hotel, the Waldorf Astoria Residences appear as a “city within a city,” defined by Jean-Louis Deniot’s interior design, which has crafted elegant and understated domestic landscapes. Exclusive access to 4,600 square meters of private amenities and the option of furnishings curated by B&B Italia redefine contemporary art de vivre, maintaining that essential link to the historical memory of an authentic legend returned to the New York scene, in the sign of the sublime.

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HOTEL

New York

Winter 2025

HOTEL

New York

Developer: Dajia Insurance Group Hotel operator: Hilton Preservation, restoration, adaptive reuse: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) Original design architect: Schultze and Weaver Hotel interiors: Pierre-Yves Rochon (PYR) Residential interiors: Jean-Louis Deniot Residential art curator: Simon de Pury Author: Anna Casotti Photo credits: Noë & Associates/The Boundary

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HOTEL

The 70s chic revival A Marbella, the Kimpton Los Monteros hotel is transformed by the skilled hand of El Equipo Creativo who have breathed new life into Mediterranean hospitality with a vibrant 70s spirit and Picassian influences

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nder the guidance of Oliver Franz Schmidt, Natali Canas del Pozo, and Lucas Echeveste Lacy, El Equipo Creativo has once again showcased its mastery in crafting spaces that intertwine narrative, functionality, and beauty. After making its mark with the first Spanish Kimpton hotel in Barcelona, the

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Spanish studio resumes its collaboration with the international chain, now with the Kimpton Los Monteros Hotel. This project redefines Mediterranean hospitality through a distinctive and curated aesthetic, characterized by colorful environments with a 70s flair. Inspired by the Andalusian landscape, the project aims to capture the soul of

Marbella, Spain

Winter 2025

HOTEL

Marbella, Spain

Client: Stoneweg Asset Management, Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, IHG Hotels Project leaders: Daniel Trujillo, Marcos Merino Project team: Rafaela Aranzaens, Fransico Vargas, Yesica Peña, Luren Debernardi, Nashla Silva-Pro, Abigail Almaguer Lighting design partner: MMAS lighting Author: Giulia Guzzini Photo credits: Veerle Evens

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HOTEL

Marbella, Spain

Winter 2025

HOTEL

Marbella, Spain

Marbella through a locally-inspired aesthetic reinterpreted with originality. The aesthetic approach incorporates botanical greens, marine blues, golden light, and the artistic sensuality of the south. The building’s original architecture, dating back to the 60s and 70s, initially seemed disconnected from its Andalusian context. However, the designers recognized and appreciated its simplicity, volumetric design, and brutalist charm, particularly its relationship with the outdoor spaces. The design objective was therefore to reconnect with the local context through a ‘70s twist’ – a homage to the hotel’s original architecture. This introduces geometric patterns, decorative screens, and textures that balance memory with innovation, blending contemporary elements with Mediterranean influences. Drawing inspiration from Marbella’s historic center, geometric stone patterns, terracotta tiles, and a play of curves and light filters were incorporated. Overall, the design across the various spaces aims for a fresh,

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holiday atmosphere with a vintage Mediterranean feel, creating inviting corners with natural materials, lush greenery, Mediterranean craftsmanship, and quality furnishings. The hotel entrance ushers guests into El Equipo Creativo’s aesthetic universe. The lobby and lounges blend Mediterranean warmth with 70s nostalgia. Natural wood, curvilinear furniture in vibrant colors, and retro touches in the finishes interact with hand-painted murals inspired by Picasso’s art – born in Malaga, his influence introduces curves, color, and a feminine touch to soften the building’s orthogonal structure. This initial spatial gesture reveals the project’s philosophy: an emotional and visual hospitality where aesthetics are not mere decoration, but atmosphere. The original Andalusian patio, an emotional heart of the project, has been enhanced with pure forms and lush vegetation. Its new serene and sculptural configuration, featuring a central water element, articulates the hotel with refined Mediterranean elegance.

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HOTEL

Marbella, Spain

Weaving Perfection In-Outdoor fabrics

tempotest.it

Winter 2025

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RETAIL

Beverly Hills, USA

RETAIL

Winter 2025

Beverly Hills, USA

Serene and edenic The fashion house unveils its new flagship House of Dior Beverly Hills on Los Angeles’ Rodeo Drive, a project by Peter Marino and landscape architect Peter Wirtz

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n immersive space where one can lose themselves discovering women’s and men’s ready-to-wear collections, leather goods, jewelry, home objects, fragrances, and limited-edition pieces. House of Dior Beverly Hills, the fashion house’s new flagship store, recently opened on Los Angeles’ legendary Rodeo Drive, seemingly evoking the serenity of an Edenic retreat. This vision was brought to life by Peter Marino, who crafted an

environment where tradition and creativity meet in an alchemical and dreamlike encounter. A sense of calm permeates all four floors of the boutique, amplified by botanical elements that define each layer.

Credit also goes to landscape architect Peter Wirtz, who, alongside Marino, sought to pay homage to the nature so dear to Christian Dior. This begins with the lush three-story garden, traversed by an imposing, organically shaped central staircase that echoes

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Interior design: Peter Marino Landscape design: Peter Wirtz Author: Manuela Di Mari Photo credits: Lonathan Taylor

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Beverly Hills, USA

Winter 2025

RETAIL

Beverly Hills, USA

the undulating lines of the limestone and stucco building facade. It continues with the living wall of the third-floor restaurant, Monsieur Dior, helmed

by Michelin-starred chef Dominique Crenn. And extends to the verdant rooftop terrace – home to private VIP lounges – offering breathtaking views of Beverly Hills. The boutique also features a selection of artworks curated by Peter Marino and Dior, including pieces by Karine Laval, Adam McEwen, Florian and Michael Quistrebert, Jorge Galindo, and Adam Fuss. Additionally, it showcases furnishings by Franck Evennou, Ado Chale, and Vladimir Kagan, and custom gilded and lacquered metal panels by Nancy Lorenz. Throughout the space, a subdued and refined atmosphere prevails, even in the display windows adorned with miniature scenes that capture the glamour of the red carpet. Indeed, House of Dior Beverly Hills also celebrates the maison’s long-standing connection with Hollywood, having dressed iconic stars such as Marlene Dietrich, Elizabeth Taylor, Grace Kelly, Sophia Loren, Ava Gardner, and Lauren Bacall.

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An experience between dream and reality The artistic creativity of the early twentieth century comes alive again at Villa Junot, the Parisian residence renovated by Claves with the aim of inviting travelers to explore a new interpretation of luxury

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uilt in the 1920s, Villa Junot in Montmartre was the private home of André Mauprey, a prominent figure in the Parisian cultural scene of that period, a composer and librettist. Today, this place, once frequented by artists, musicians, and poets, vibrates once more with creative energy thanks to Iconic House. In recent years, Iconic House has successfully pioneered the “Maison Hôtelière” concept, blending prestigious, history-rich residences with luxury hospitality. Spread over four levels plus a basement where the spa has been created, the Villa can accommodate up to twelve people, thanks to its five bedrooms, each with an en-suite bathroom, kitchen, dining room, library, living room, and a terrace with panoramic views. Claves, the studio of Laure Gravier and Soizic Fougeront, interpreted the spirit of the Villa by crafting a new narrative that seamlessly continues its memory. Thus, today the residence is an expression of an effervescent dialogue 100 | IFDM

RESIDENCES

Paris

Winter 2025

RESIDENCES

Paris

Client: Iconic House Architects: CLAVES, Laure Gravier & Soizic Fougeront Custom made furnishings: on design by the architects Furniture, lamps and objects: Astro Lighting, Broste Copenhagen, Collect CPH, Etsy, Ferm Living, Galerie Paradis, Hein, Human Home, Huey Lighting, Illus, Matilda Goad, Modern Métier, Pulper & Cobbs, Red Editions, Six Dots Design, Soho Home, The Oblist Contemporary designers: Thalia Dalecky, Sophie Lou Jacobsen, Léa Zéroil Vintage designer pieces: Pierre Cazenove, Bernard Dequet, Goffredo Reggiani, Kim Moltzer, Luigi Serafini, Willy Rizzo Decorative painter: Mauro Ferreira Plaster workshop: Staff Espaces Volumes Cabinetmaker: Maison Chabot Marble specialist: Mineral Expertise Featured artists: Antoine de la Boulaye, Galatée Martin, Maldo Nollimerg, Thibault Perrigne, Gaultier Rimbaud-Joffard, Lia Rochas, Nina Silverberg, Sophie Toporkoff, Southway Studio, Garance Vallée Author: Francesca Oddo Photo credits: Alice Mesguich

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RESIDENCES

Paris

Winter 2025

RESIDENCES

Paris

between architectural heritage, collectible design, and contemporary art. The designers evoke the creative atmosphere of the early twentieth century, which spanned Art Deco and Surrealism, connecting it to the present through a visionary project involving a curated selection of artists. Among them, Maldo Nollimerg is the author of the cosmogonic-themed mural located in the dining room, Atelier Toporkoff conceived the stained-glass windows that illuminate the stairwell, and Southway Studio created the draped fireplace in the master bedroom. The children’s room is particularly poetic, with Mauro Ferreira’s decorative painting adorning the niches and ceiling with a theory of suns, constellations, and musical notes. “Echoing the history of the house and of Montmartre,” explain Gravier and Fougeront, “our idea was to recreate a small 1920s Art Deco theatre – a place that feels both artistic and alive.” And so, the decorative register, composed of stuccoes, vaulted ceilings, arches, cornices, and gilded and lacquered details, converses with paintings, sculptures, lithographs, and other artworks that evoke Surrealist motifs. At Villa Junot, creativity runs free, traveling between poetic imaginaries, dreamlike accents, and visual abstractions. It promises a stay experience that unfolds between the dimension of dream and reality, aided by the memory of a lively domestic setting and the artists who once inhabited it.

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ART FOUNDATION

Paris

ART FOUNDATION

Winter 2025

Paris

A museum-machine for the Fondation Cartier With the radical transformation of a Haussmannian building, Jean Nouvel has created the new home for the illustrious Fondation Cartier in Paris, which, embracing internationality and cross-disciplinarity, celebrates its forty-year commitment to contemporary art

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he grand project for the new home of the Fondation Cartier pour l’Art Contemporain proudly asserts a 40-year cultural history. Opening in Paris in October 2025, it bears the signature of one of France’s most influential and authoritative architects: Jean Nouvel. Dedicated to temporary exhibitions, the foundation is located at 2 Place du Palais-Royal, in a large stone arcaded palace opposite the Louvre. This building dates back to the creation of the current Rue de Rivoli, during the initial phase of the radical urban transformations brought to the French capital by Baron Haussmann. The monumental five-story building was constructed between 1854 and 1855 by architects Charles Percier and Pierre Fontaine to house the Grand Hôtel du Louvre

and the Grands Magasins du Louvre, which remained there for almost a century, carving out a fundamental role in the cultural and social life of the city center. While preserving the facades and volumes, Nouvel has radically transformed the interiors. “We must capture the sense of space from above, from below, and through cross-ventilation: in short, we must expand it,” the architect declared in 2013 upon receiving the commission. This gave rise to the design concept and the realization challenge of a large internal “machine,” composed of expansive platforms capable of rising and descending beneath the mezzanine’s glass panels, serving an innovative, modern, and flexible museum experience. At the heart of the museum are five modular platforms, which can reach a height IFDM | 105

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of 11 meters and range in surface area from 200 to 340 square meters. The building thus takes shape as a complex scenographic system, which, thanks to the combination of volumes and variations in light, manages to meet the diverse exhibition needs of current artistic languages within its 6500 square meters of exhibition space. A symbolic building, the new headquarters also articulates the objectives and vision of Alain Dominique Perrin, then president of Cartier, who founded the institution in 1984, centering it on criteria of internationality and multidisciplinarity. These are essential for understanding an increasingly branched and complex reality that encompasses visual arts, photography, cinema, craftsmanship, performance, live shows, and even science. In terms of materials, the raw monumentality of exposed reinforced concrete is juxtaposed with extensive use of metal, defining an architectural landscape made iridescent by infinite spatial arrangement possibilities. “The Fondation Cartier will probably

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ART FOUNDATION

Paris

Winter 2025

be the institution offering the greatest diversity of spaces, the most exhibition modes, and the widest range of perspectives,” states Nouvel, who also designed the foundation’s previous headquarters.

“Depending on the chosen configuration, these spaces with variable geometries will be invented and discovered as projects develop.” Accessible from all four corners, the new foundation offers the public 8,500 square meters distributed across the basement, ground floor, and first floor, opening generously to the city through expansive glass facades. In addition to the exhibition areas, public amenities include La Manifattura, a 300 m² educational space dedicated to cultural mediation, artistic practices, and the promotion of artisanal knowledge; the Marie-Claude Beaud Studio, dedicated to performing arts; a library; a restaurant; and a “creative bar.” The inaugural exhibition, curated by Milan-based Formafantasma and running until August 2026, is titled ‘Esposizione Generale’ (General Exhibition) and chronicles 40 years of contemporary art championed by the influential foundation. The title subtly nods to the first Universal Exhibition in 1855, which spurred the redevelopment of Rue de Rivoli and the construction of the building itself.

ART FOUNDATION

Paris

Client: Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain, Cartier SA / Richemont Delegated project ownership: VINCI Immobilier Main contractor and group members: PETIT, branch of VINCI Construction Group Representative Architecture: Ateliers Jean Nouvel Furnishings and fittings: Jean Nouvel Design Structural and fluid engineering: SETEC Bâtiment Scenic engineering: Ducks Scéno Lighting engineering: L’Observatoire International Acoustic engineering: AVEL Acoustique Graphic design and signage: deValence Environmental consultants: Le Sommer Environnement Historical consultant: Grahal Author: Elena Franzoia Photo credits: Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain, Jean Nouvel / ADAGP, Martin Argyroglo, Marc Dommage

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YACHTING

BGF45, Bluegame Yachts

BGF45: sustainable soul, racing performance Bluegame launches the new BGF45, the result of experience gained in the America’s Cup. A new multihull that combines maximum comfort, excellent performance, and low fuel consumption

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rom the America’s Cup to recreational yachting: Bluegame’s innovative approach is part of an evolutionary process characterized by cutting-edge technology, continuous research, and bold experimentation. The brand, part of the Sanlorenzo group, has transformed the experience gained in racing into a new model, drawing on its performance and vision of sustainable innovation. The result is the revolutionary BGF45 multihull, previewed at the 2025 Cannes Yachting Festival. Bluegame was inspired by the BGH-HSV (Hydrogen Support Vessel), the chase boat that supported the American Magic and Orient Express Racing Team during the 37th America’s Cup in 2024, capable of reaching 50 knots with zero emissions thanks to its entirely hydrogen-powered propulsion and a range of 180 miles. This pioneering spirit has been transferred to the world of recreational boating with the BGF45, the first model in the new BGF range, which integrates the foil technologies developed on the BGH while expanding the brand’s multihull portfolio, with a strong focus on versatility, innovation, and Italian excellence. Fundamental to this has been the collaboration with Mario Caponnetto and Francis Hueber, renowned experts in hydrodynamics who, after working alongside the Bluegame team on the

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YACHTING

BGF45, Bluegame Yachts

Concept: Luca Santella Design: Luca Santella & Zuccon International Project Hull design: Bluegame – Caponnetto Hueber Length overall: 14,15 m Beam: 5,12 m Engine: 2 x Volvo Penta IPS 600 D6 (STD), 2 x Volvo Penta IPS 650 D6 (OPT) Max speed: 35 Kn +/- 5% Cruising speed: 28 Kn +/- 5% Max n° passengers: 14 Author: Veronica Orsi Photo credits: courtesy of Bluegame

BGH-HSV project, are now contributing to the BGF45, perfecting the hull design and enhancing its performance. The distinctive feature of the BGF45 design is its perfect balance between excellent performance and reduced environmental impact. The foil-assisted system, positioned between the hulls, significantly reduces drag, increasing speed, stability, and fuel efficiency by over 40%. Powered by two Volvo Penta IPS engines, the new 45-foot boat guarantees maximum sailing comfort, even at speeds above 30 knots, offering smooth handling and effortless maneuverability. The BGF45 is revolutionary in its sustainable, technological approach – thanks in part to strategic partnerships with Garmin and SiemensInnovative Technology Partner – and design: the synergy between Luca Santella and Zuccon International Project has resulted in a design that is as refined as it is sporty. The BGF45 makes the most of the large volumes of the multihull, with an open layout that includes two cabins and a third multipurpose area. Outside, large sunbathing areas and a refined beach area enhance the open-air lifestyle on board. A prototype designed for extreme challenges has thus given rise to a concrete and disruptive line of boats, designed for visionary owners looking for something new and deeply connected to the sea.

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WONDER

LOS ANGELES | LAX METRO TRANSIT CENTER | GRIMSHAW | GRUEN ASSOCIATES | ARUP Elegant skylights, sweeping canopies, and glazed screens establish a lightweight, spacious environment that reinforces intuitive wayfinding. This ‘humanized’ journey extends to the wide above-grade

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WONDER

© Jason O’Rear

concourses, which are flooded with natural light. A public plaza, a mezzanine at concourse level and other public spaces are designed to provide travellers with moments of respite and comfort.

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WONDER

SHANGHAI | GATE M WEST BUND DREAM CENTER | MVRDV | AISA | FIELD OPERATIONS © Sanqian Visual Image Art

A former cement factory is now a culture and leisure district. A cohesive urban space was made out of a collection of buildings, introducing a new identity with its orange circulation elements.

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MAMOUNIA COLLECTION - MOROCCAN INSPIRED RUGS FOR CHARMING INTERIORS

HEADQUARTERS: VIA A. MANZONI, 45 MILANO - HERITAGE FOREVER: VIA A. MANZONI, 38 MILANO

SAHRAI.COM

Winter 2025

WONDER

MILAN | MAGMA, LUBNA, SCARAMOUCHE | Q-BIC The Florentine studio transformed a 3,000 sqm former industrial site into a cultural and gastronomic hub. A 1,200 sqm trapezoidal piazza connects three distinct volumes: event space, art gallery, restaurant.

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lcd-textile-edition.com @lcdtextile

Winter 2025

PEOPLE

India Mahdavi

THE ART OF CROSSING BOUNDARIES A portrait of India Mahdavi, whose multicultural roots and support for young creatives shape a vibrant approach to architecture, interiors, and scenography, blending color, narrative, and playfulness into a unique design language

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orn in Tehran and raised between the US, Germany, and France, India Mahdavi has cultivated a career that reflects her multicultural path. Now based in Paris, she leads a studio – founded in 2000 – known for moving fluidly between architecture, interiors, scenography, and object design. Her spaces radiate personality: worldly, welcoming environments where sophistication meets ease, often brightened by a subtle sense of play. A master of color and a natural polyglot, Mahdavi has shaped a design vocabulary that is instantly recognizable. Since 2020, through the activity of her two exhibition spaces located near her studio, she has also championed emerging talents, offering young creatives a platform to experiment and be seen. Her influence on contemporary design continues to grow, and in 2015 she was appointed Officier des Arts et des Lettres in recognition of her cultural impact.

author: Ruben Modigliani portrait photo: Alice Rosati projects photo: Project Room #17 (Benoit Florençon), Project Room #14 (Thierry Depagne), PoMo Museum (Valérie Sadoun), Gallery @ Sketch (Edmund Dabney)

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What inspired you to pursue a career in architecture and design?

I studied architecture and I trained as an architect, but I never wanted to be one. I wanted to make movies. The reason I studied architecture was because I thought it would give me a broad vision of space and help me understand it in a larger way.

At one point, I was interested in doing film sets.

But when I finished my studies in Paris, I realized that architecture’s production mode was too long, and I needed to be more hands-on, to see things happen faster. So I started working with Christian Liaigre, who not only handled space but also design and production. What was interesting to me was his approach to materials, to craft – starting from an object and building around it, which was the reverse of the architectural process.

That rhythm, dealing with materials and color, felt much more alive. As I was always interested in film and film sets, I felt that interior design would allow me to approach space through narrative. Designing a public space is close to making a movie: you have the production, the client, the scenario, and then the people who enjoy the space are like the actors of their own lives.

Where does this passion for movies come from?

I think it has always been linked to the idea of having a fantasy life, of living another life. It’s also connected to a very aesthetic vision of the world.

Before starting my architecture studies, I spent a year going to the movies three times a day. Paris is perfect for that – so many independent cinemas, festivals, programs, from musicals to Italian films.

Seeing so many movies trains your eye to understand photogenic spaces, and you can use that in your work later.

Winter 2025

PEOPLE

India Mahdavi

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What was your first major project, the one that brought you recognition?

I would say there are two parts in my life: before Instagram and after Instagram. I set up my business around 2000, but I had started earlier, in 1998 or 1999. Before Instagram, I worked mainly abroad.

I did the Townhouse Hotel in Miami, the APT club in New York – a project very close to what I love, narrative – and then the Condesa DF Hotel in Mexico City. At that time, French magazines didn’t publish much about projects abroad, so my work was better known in America than in Europe. Then came the Instagram era. When I designed the pink gallery at Sketch in London, it went viral. It was the beginning of Instagram, and that project gave me new visibility in Europe. It was so photogenic that it became an image on its own, living independently. So yes, there is clearly a pre-Instagram and post-Instagram part of my career.

What are the fundamental components of your design language?

You expect me to say color – and color is one – but I think there’s also something playful in my work, and there’s something serious about playfulness. Playfulness is not always taken seriously, but it’s essential. We need it, we need color, we need joy, especially today. My work is about creating moments of joy and presence. And yes, I use ornament – I’m not scared of ornament. Ornament allows you to give a new identity to a place.

It’s part of my language, along with patterns and color, to create spaces that embrace you.

You work on both private and public projects.

Is your approach the same?

No. Private spaces are like portraiture – you design for a specific person. I work like a photographer: my client is my subject, and the space should reflect their personality. You have to listen to the person, but also to the existing structure, to the local craft and resources. I try to save what you can save from what already exists and build around that. In public spaces, it’s more about defining an identity. You integrate functions and flow, but you also try to make the space stand on its own, to have its own life. Like the gallery at Sketch – it became its own identity, a place that lives independently of me. You give birth to something, and then it lives its own life.

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PEOPLE

India Mahdavi

Winter 2025

PEOPLE

What are you working on now?

I’m doing several residential projects – in New York, Paris, the south of France, Saint-Tropez, Gstaad. I’ve just completed a museum in Norway and an artist residency in Arles, and I’m working again with the Villa Medici in Rome, on the rooms linked to the Turkish Room. But I’m also very busy with what I call my “creative ecosystem” in rue Las Cases, Paris: there’s Petits Objets, a shop; a showroom with my furniture; the Project Room, a space for free expression, shows and events; and the Tiny Room, dedicated to younger designers – people like Wendy Andreu, Carlès & Demarquet, Serban Ionescu. This program is time-consuming but very important. It’s about building a community, giving younger generations a voice, and initiating dialogues. For me, co-creation is always more interesting than being at the center of everything. I’ve reached a point where it’s nice to open doors, to endorse others, to share. It’s about creativity through craft, collaboration, and giving life to new voices.

India Mahdavi

Opposite page: top, Project Room #14, Match Point (Harry Nuriev/ Crosby Studios). Project Room #17, installation for the 25th anniversary of the Bishop stool, India Mahdavi’s signature stool This page: top, PoMo Museum, Trondheim (Norway).

The Gallery at Sketch, London

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Winter 2025

A graceful urban retreat Nestled within a private park, the 36-story tower of Aman Nai Lert Bangkok stands as an oasis of luxury and tranquility, right in the heart of the city yet far removed from its bustle

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ike all major global capitals, Bangkok boasts a plethora of luxury hotels. Few, however, can claim the elegant sobriety of the Aman Group’s newest jewel – its second in Thailand after the iconic Amanpuri, which opened 37 years ago on Phuket island. Here, the stylistic and design ethos is dictated by nature and light, interpreted by Jean-Michel Gathy of Denniston Studio through his indispensable lens of ‘genius loci’. The building is a modern, 36-story tower nestled within the lush greenery of Nai Lert Park – home to the Heritage Home, now a museum, of Phraya Bhakdinorasreth Nai Lert, 120 | IFDM

HOTEL

Bangkok

Winter 2025

HOTEL

Bangkok

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Winter 2025

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HOTEL

Bangkok

Winter 2025

HOTEL

Bangkok

the visionary entrepreneur who helped shape modern Bangkok and after whom the hotel is named. Inside, it is references to local culture that shape the spaces, which open up to the city through expansive glass windows “Nai Lert’s rich heritage provided an incredible foundation for this project. Our goal was to honour this legacy and Thai culture in a modem, timeless way alongside Aman’s renowned design DNA, developed over three decades,” said Jean-Michel Gathy, Principal of Denniston. “Throughout, we integrated details of the park and its Heritage Home with contemporary interpretations, creating a palette that made sense within this context and the tapestry of influences,” he continued.

From the rich teak plank flooring to the 3,000 white ceramic spinning tops adorning the lobby, and the gigantic ebony and gold sculpture in the ninth-floor atrium – which, with its 6,000 golden leaves, pays homage to the park’s centuries-old chamchuri tree – local culture is reinterpreted and

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Winter 2025

Architecture: Openbox Interior design: Jean-Michel Gathy of Denniston Furnishing and lighting: contemporary pieces and bespoke furniture made by local artisans Art designer: Martin Gerlier Author: Elena Luraghi Photo credits: courtesy of Aman

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HOTEL

Bangkok

Winter 2025

HOTEL

Bangkok

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Winter 2025

brought to life through the works of Thailand’s finest artisans. A beautiful example can be found in the bespoke wooden panels of Bar 1872, meticulously crafted by master artisans from Chiang Mai. Meanwhile, in the Aman Suite, the most impressive of the 52 suites and 34 residences, a coconut shell wall installation is just one of many exquisite artworks gracefully paired with elegant furnishings. The culinary experience spans Italian tradition (at Arva restaurant) and Japanese cuisine at Sesui and Hiori restaurants on the 19th floor, the latter exclusively accessible to hotel guests and residence owners. True to Aman tradition, the Spa is not merely a wellness area but a 1,500-square-meter sanctuary of well-being, featuring a monumental outdoor pool with a prime position overlooking the skyline, built around an elliptical void dominated by a centuries-old Sompong tree. Relaxing environments and a refined Japanese wabi-sabi spirit define the holistic experiences within this wellness oasis.

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HOTEL

Bangkok

IFDM PRO trade programme

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Winter 2025

Builder: Alia Yachts Naval architecture: Lateral Naval Architects Exterior and interior design: Sinot Yacht Architecture & Design Materials: Full aluminium LOA: 45.00m Max beam: 8.89m Draft: 2.33m Displacement: 306.00 tons Gross tonnage: 380 GT Engines: 4 x Volvo Penta D13 (515kW) MH IMO III Max speed: 23 knots Range: 1400 nm @ 18 knots Author: Mariateresa Campolongo Photo credits: RedCharlie Media

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YACHT

SAN, Alia Yachts

YACHT

Winter 2025

SAN: where the aft breathes A 45-meter full-custom superyacht where versatility and a direct connection to the marine environment are paramount, in a fluid choreography that accommodates contemporary yachting lifestyles

SAN, Alia Yachts

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he immediate focal point of SAN, a 45-meter full-custom superyacht by Alia Yachts, is its aft deck. It’s an architecture truly open to the sea, a habitable terrace that gently descends towards the water. Its versatility is enhanced by fold-down bulwarks, and it features shaded steps and sunbathing areas. The outdoor furnishings are multifunctional: a single hi-lo teak table transforms from a coffee table to a dining table, while forward, a second table expands with modular cushions. Everything on board speaks to versatility and a direct connection with the marine environment, in a fluid design that supports contemporary yachting.

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Winter 2025

The project bears the signature of Sinot Yacht Architecture & Design for both exterior and interior, with naval architecture by Lateral Naval Architects. The full-aluminum construction was carried out at Alia Yachts’ shipyard in Antalya.

At the heart of the onboard experience is a coherent vision blending form and function, technology and style, luxury and thoughtful design.

The interior layout is conceived to emphasize the visual and sensory connection with the sea. On the main deck, the saloon opens seamlessly to the exterior through floor-to-ceiling glass panels, free of intrusive mullions and complemented by carved bulwarks, all conceived to ensure an uninterrupted view of the horizon. The interiors, developed by Sinot and executed by Alia Interiors’ atelier, are distinguished by a cohesive and sophisticated material palette: teak, stained oak, eucalyptus, and natural leather define an essential yet warm environment. Here, sobriety converses with bespoke details – such as butterfly 130 | IFDM

YACHT

SAN, Alia Yachts

Winter 2025

YACHT

SAN, Alia Yachts

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joints in the wood, artisanal stitching, and contrasting polished steel. All fixed furnishings are custom-made, minimizing bulk to maximize usable space. Internal volumes were optimized centimeter by centimeter, incorporating original solutions like the Japanese-style lowered living area. This design cleverly allows for a lower ceiling in the wheelhouse, located on the upper deck, while still ensuring a comfortable headroom of 2.3 meters throughout the main living spaces.

The minimalist wheelhouse, inspired by an aircraft cockpit, further contributes to the yacht’s low-slung profile and taut lines. The measured elegance of the spaces extends to the guest cabins on the lower deck, accessed via a spiral staircase discreetly placed behind the saloon bar. The forward master suite leverages the hull’s form to shape a bright and refined space. Everything is designed to ensure visual lightness, essentiality, and a constant dialogue between the interiors and the horizon.

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YACHT

SAN, Alia Yachts

Winter 2025

YACHT

SAN, Alia Yachts

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Winter 2025

WINERY

Rátka, Hungary

A new winery in Tokaj’s UNESCO landscape In Hungary, Studio BORD reconstructs the Sauska Tokaj Winery, home to one of the most important local wine companies, calibrating an elegant and functional design for an extraordinary context

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n northern Hungary, not far from the Austrian border, Rátka is one of the 27 municipalities that make up the Tokaj-Hegyalja wine region.

Its 7,000 hectares of vineyards, 5,000 of which are still cultivated, constitute an agricultural landscape of extraordinary beauty, so much so that it was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2002. In this exceptional setting, the accredited Budapest architectural firm BORD has reconstructed one of the most famous wineries dedicated to the celebrated white wine. Its production dates back to the Middle Ages but gained particular prominence from the 17th century onwards, and received a new, more recent impetus from 2000, when Hungary emerged from the Soviet orbit, abandoning massive and standardized productions in favor of an approach more oriented towards innovation and quality. “For almost two decades, Sauska Tokaj Winery has been one of the leading wineries in Hungary,” says Péter Bordás, founder of BORD.

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Winter 2025

WINERY

Rátka, Hungary

Client: Sauska and Partner General design: BORD Architectural Studio Interior design: Tihany Design Mechanical engineering: BORD HVAC Engineering Structural engineering: Hydrastat Engineering Office Landscape design: Gardenworks Main contractor: Barry B. Britton Author: Elena Franzoia Photo credits: Hufton+Crow

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Winter 2025

“Krisztián Sauska and his wife envisioned a familyrun business where gastronomy would also play a key role. The new complex was conceived as a business center that, despite its size, integrates perfectly with the surrounding environment, combining a unique experience with breathtaking panoramic views and playing a significant role in promoting the region’s tourism and wine prestige.” Like two large flying saucers freshly landed in an apical position on the southern slope of Padi Hill, the aboveground volumes of the winery appear partially covered by the landscape, with an approach that inevitably recalls the Antinori Winery in Bargino

by Archea Associati. Here too, the design intent is one of calibrated environmental integration, which does not hide the architectural intervention but ensures an elegant and discreet impact. “The architectural concept was inspired by the principle of not touching the untouchable: the view of the undulating vineyards,” specifies Bordás. “The goal was to create a structure that seemed to float effortlessly over the landscape. Observing the building from afar, one only sees two conical sculptures floating in the vineyard.” Recalling Carlo Scarpa, the two large discs, with a diameter of 36 meters, intersect, housing the most panoramic part of the spaces intended for the public, which are reserved for the ground floor of the complex: the restaurant and the wine shop for tasting wines and sparkling wines, both overlooking large terraces. The interiors, designed

by Tihany Design, are inspired by the region’s vernacular traditions in the use of natural wood and local limestone, made more contemporary by steel details. The palette reflects the timeless, natural, and elegant essence of the vineyard. The remaining part of the building at this level is recessed into a plate behind the discs and houses the administrative area, as well as kitchens, access points, and services.

Requiring stable temperatures and vast spaces, the winemaking facilities are entirely underground.

Evocative circular fermentation rooms house stainless steel tanks arranged in concentric rings, defining an internal area for aging with oak barrels at its center. Behind these are the storage, bottling, and service areas. A long tunnel for grape arrival and finished product shipment is also located at this level, housing most of the mechanical systems. On the upper floor, this longitudinal axis leads to the fields, separating the plate and discs, administrative areas, and visitor spaces, which are accessible from the external parking lot via an apical path of great visual appeal.

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WINERY

Rátka, Hungary

Winter 2025

WINERY

Rátka, Hungary

IFDM | 137

Winter 2025

CO-WORKING

The different ‘worlds’ of work In London, Universal Design Studio revolutionizes the new co-working space Fora - The Jellicoe according to principles of adaptability, interaction, and regenerative well-being

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London

W

hile for Fora, a flexible co-working space provider, workplace well-being is of fundamental importance, for Universal Design Studio it is a true mission, guided by a deep conviction in the transformative power of well-designed spaces. This winning combination gave rise to the brand-new London destination, The Jellicoe, in the King’s Cross district, a creative hub of the city with an industrial past. For this new Fora-branded project, developed across 12 floors, Universal Design Studio applied its ‘World within a world’ concept, creating spaces with varying levels of functionality and discovery. These are environments where innovation and interaction thrive, yet also support

Winter 2025

CO-WORKING

London

fundamental human needs, with dedicated areas and private spaces. Similarly, a sustainable approach is evident, starting with the creation of bespoke elements throughout the building, which are reconfigurable and demountable for new uses. For instance, on the ground floor, a large ceiling grid can support various activities, although most of this space is dedicated to dining, with café-style and co-working furniture.

However, thanks to the use of curtains, projection screens, and movable furniture, the environment can be reconfigured to host events, with the elevated raft supporting artworks or installations, ensuring future flexibility. The concept of sustainability also extends to the materials used, such as natural linoleum for the floors or the use of ash wood for most of the fixtures.

This includes the meditation room on the second floor, clad in wood infused with lavender scent to transport one into a state of relaxation and reflection. Paul Gulati, Director at Universal IFDM | 139

Winter 2025

Design Studio, explains: “We experimented with strongly contrasting materials and forms to reinforce the difference between each ‘world,’ which was further expressed through clear boundaries and demarcation lines. The experience of moving between different worlds has a cinematic quality, transforming into a new scene or location and stimulating changes in human behavior. This approach encourages users to choose the right space for the task or experience required at any given moment of their workday.” On the second floor, there is also an internal garden, designed with natural materials – clay and minerals – that evoke an outdoor lifestyle, once again fostering individual relaxation and social interaction.

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CO-WORKING

London

Winter 2025

CO-WORKING

London

Client: Fora Interior design: Universal Design Studio Furnishings: custom made on design by the architects Author: Manuela Di Mari Photo credits: Chris Tirrell, Toby Mitchell

IFDM | 141

Winter 2025

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HOTEL

Amsterdam

HOTEL

Winter 2025

The “sense of place” In a new hotel development, the last to be authorized within a monumental building in Amsterdam, Rosewood breathes new life into the city’s 17th-century former Palace of Justice. Interior design by Studio Piet Boon

Amsterdam

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msterdam’s former Palace of Justice, a beloved landmark for city residents nestled in the heart of the UNESCO World Heritage Canal District, is brought back to life. Built in 1665, the building now houses the captivating Rosewood Amsterdam hotel, marking the eponymous hospitality brand’s debut in the Netherlands. Rosewood is renowned for its A Sense of Place® philosophy, which seamlessly integrates local culture into every property. Indeed, instilling ‘a sense of place’ was the guiding principle given to Studio Piet Boon, responsible for the interior design of the rooms and suites,

Client: Rosewood Hotels & Resorts / CTF Amsterdam Interior design: Studio Piet Boon Supervising architect: Kentie Architecten Landscape architect: Piet Oudolf Furnishings: restored, vintage, and bespoke designs by the architect Art curation: Kunstmest Consulting Author: Manuela Di Mari Photo credits: Chantal Arnts, Jonathan Maloney, Danielle Siobhan, courtesy of Piet Boon

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Winter 2025

all public areas, and the Asaya Spa, with the exception of the Eeuwen restaurant and Advocatuur bar. This transformation, overseen by Kentie Architecten, was a decade-long endeavor, reinterpreting 17th-century architecture through a contemporary lens. The result is an authentic, immersive experience that marries the Palace’s original spirit with refined comfort and a fresh take on Dutch craftsmanship. History and modernity blend seamlessly thanks to a meticulous restoration of original elements, such as the cells and courtrooms, granite columns, ornate doorframes, and flooring. These are thoughtfully paired with natural materials – from oak paneling and bronze accents to polished and raw stone – a subtle color palette, and layered design elements. This emotionally engaging journey is further enhanced by over 1000 artworks scattered throughout the hotel, including rooms and the Spa, meticulously curated by Kunstmest Consulting, which collectively narrate Amsterdam’s cultural soul.

No two spaces are alike among the 134 rooms and suites and the five extraordinary exclusive houses, each uniquely designed: Prinsengracht House, Huis 020, Keizersgracht House, The Library House, and Herengracht House. Bathrooms feature a ‘box-within-a-box’ layout that preserves architectural integrity, while pleated headboards 144 | IFDM

HOTEL

Amsterdam

Winter 2025

HOTEL

Amsterdam

playfully draw inspiration from judges’ collars, and subtle variations in tone, texture, and proportion echo the Dutch skies. A new library-like area, once a courtroom, welcomes guests with an antique grand piano, modern interpretations of vintage lighting, decorative accents, and a floorto-ceiling textile artwork by Patience.studio. For a deeper connection to well-being, the Spa offers enveloping intimacy with a palette of soft, light tones for the pool and common areas, transitioning to darker hues for the treatment rooms.

Meanwhile, the garden space, De Tuin, designed by celebrated Dutch landscape architect Piet Oudolf, invites guests to experience nature as a dynamic art form, showcasing biodiversity and native flora that changes with the seasons.

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Winter 2025

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HOTEL

Amsterdam

Winter 2025

HOTEL

Amsterdam

IFDM | 147

BEACH CLUB

Winter 2025

Marina di Pietrasanta, Italy

The hospitality revolution Sophisticated cuisine, high-level entertainment, and meticulously curated design.

LMDV Hospitality Group vision begins with Casa Fiori Chiari Versilia

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design-led resurgence. The newly formed LMDV Hospitality Group, led by Leonardo Maria Del Vecchio and born from the recent merger of Triple Sea Food and Twiga, is redefining luxury hospitality in Italy. This is achieved through the creation of new destinations that seamlessly blend haute cuisine and luxury entertainment.

The Twiga locations in Monte Carlo, Forte dei Marmi, Baia Beniamin in Liguria, and Porto Cervo are being reborn with a distinct sense of style: while

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retaining the DNA of the historic private club, the experience is being expanded through innovative culinary offerings, sophisticated design, and an exceptionally refined allure. These are complemented

by Casa Fiori Chiari in Forte dei Marmi and Porto Cervo, and Vesta, a restaurant concept within the Twiga venues, thereby consolidating the synergy between the group’s brands. For the interior design projects across the various locations, Stefano Belingardi Architects and Fanti Bozzetti Menegon studios

Winter 2025

were engaged, each tailoring their interventions to the specific destination. A perfect example is Casa Fiori Chiari Versilia, the LMDV Hospitality Group’s new beach club in Marina di Pietrasanta. Here, Fanti Bozzetti Menegon studio interpreted the concept of an “Italian home” through welcoming environments and natural materials. The atmospheres are warm and understated, dominated by neutral tones – with brick as a key color – and a refined interplay of textures: wood and straw alternate, enriched by decorative details that evoke domestic intimacy. Striped fabrics recall traditional beach aesthetics, while elements like slatted tabletops and director’s chairs pay homage to the maritime spirit of Versilia. Bringing this vision to life is Poliform’s Contract Division, which translated the concept into a complete and entirely bespoke interior with remarkable aesthetic coherence. Every element, from structures to furnishings, was custom-designed, highlighting the company’s expertise in bespoke solutions: the flooring, and the ceiling and wall coverings where woven straw becomes a decorative motif and distinctive feature; as well as the bar and DJ set counters, the clean-lined and distinctive wooden benches and daybeds, and the upholstered sofas that create convivial, Mediterranean-flavored corners. This setting is

BEACH CLUB

completed by tables and seating customized for the project. Poliform has thus consolidated its collaboration with the LMDV Hospitality Group, continuing the journey initiated with the Vesta and Trattoria del Ciumbia restaurants in Milan, and also participating in the recent projects for the new Twiga Milano and Twiga Versilia, consistently providing complete and bespoke interior solutions.

Marina di Pietrasanta, Italy

Interior design: studio Fanti Bozzetti Menegon Furnishings: Poliform, on design Author: Veronica Orsi Photo credits: courtesy of Poliform

IFDM | 149

Winter 2025

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BEACH CLUB

Marina di Pietrasanta, Italy

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Winter 2025

RESORT

Where biophilia meets futurism In line with a rigorous philosophy of sustainable tourism, including architecture, the Shebara Resort offers a futuristic hospitality experience on the Red Sea 152 | IFDM

Red Sea, Saudi Arabia

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string of pearls seemingly emerging from the pristine waters, or a series of capsules resembling spacecraft? What’s certain is that the stainless steel spheres forming part of the Shebara Resort, positioned on the Red Sea’s crystal-clear waters, refract the sky and sea with an effect that almost makes them disappear. And this is just one, the visible one, of the measures implemented by Killa Design’s architects to minimize impact on an ecosystem rich in extraordinary biodiversity of marine species and corals. Even the onshore villas blend seamlessly into their surroundings, nestled on soft white sand facing the sea and embraced by a landscape of native plants.

Winter 2025

RESORT

Red Sea, Saudi Arabia

A total of 73 residences, each with a pool – located 25 kilometers from the mainland, accessible by boat or seaplane – exemplify self-sufficient architecture. “All villas are constructed, fitted out and commissioned offshore, and shipped to the site as a ‘plug-in’ to the solar-powered zero energy infrastructure,” says Shaun Killa. This perfect combination of high-level hospitality and innovative technologies offers an extraordinary escape into nature and well-being. It’s a sanctuary where even the interiors, curated by

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Winter 2025

Studio Paolo Ferrari, create an experience deeply connected to the surrounding environment, thanks to a design rooted in craftsmanship and bespoke materials like molten glass, travertine, oak, and leather. This refinement of finishes is also evident in the interiors of the five bars and restaurants, designed by Rockwell Group, which evoke the underwater world through elements inspired by the Red Sea’s flora and fauna. Or in the Spa, also by Rockwell Group, which incorporates earthy tones and materials to convey a sense of grounding. An inspiration drawn from nature and the power of the sea is also reflected in the types of treatments offered. It goes without saying that spectacular views unfold, particularly from the Overwater Villas, or from the three residences situated on a private islet that can be privatized and even boasts its own private yacht dock.

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RESORT

Red Sea, Saudi Arabia

Winter 2025

RESORT

Red Sea, Saudi Arabia

Owner: Red Sea Global Architecture: Killa Design Interior design: Studio Paolo Ferrari, Rockwell Group Author: Manuela Di Mari Photo credits: courtesy of Red Sea Global Shebara Resort

IFDM | 155

Short stories

IFDM | 157

Winter 2025

SAINT-TROPEZ, FRANCE | HOTEL BYBLOS | ETHIMO

A sophisticated and welcoming environment where design blends with Mediterranean charm, overlooking the bay of Saint-Tropez. A social icon, the Hotel Byblos has been a symbol of excellence in international hospitality and elite tourism on the French Riviera since 1967. With the aim of enhancing its Sky Bar overlooking the bay of Saint-Tropez, the Byblos commissioned the UGO Architecture studio. The restyling project has created a sophisticated and welcoming environment, where design blends with the Mediterranean landscape. The protagonist of the new intervention is the Rotin collection, which, born from the collaboration with Studio Zanellato/Bortotto, is reinterpreted here by Ethimo to create a tailor-made lounge set, in harmony with the visual and architectural identity of the hotel and the surrounding landscape. Rotin is offered in a special customized edition, with fabrics, designs, and finishes created specifically for this project.

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SHORT STORIES

Winter 2025

SHORT STORIES

LEOGANG, AUSTRIA | PRIESTEREGG PREMIUM ECO RESORT | CATELLANI & SMITH

A resort with panoramic mountain views, in harmony with the architecture, lamps, and custom-made furnishings. In a fluid dialogue between design and nature.

Located in Leogang, an alpine tourist destination in the province of Salzburg (Austria), the Priesteregg Premium Eco Resort consists of 18 chalets and villas built with natural materials such as antique wood, Swiss pine, and local stone. While all the lodges are equipped with amenities and wellness areas with saunas and heated pools, the villas also feature private pools and even more spacious living areas. Catellani & Smith’s lighting creations fit perfectly into this setting, characterizing the atmosphere with their sculptural presence even when switched off. This is the case with the custom compositions of More pendant lamps, with transparent industrial glass and steel cables, the Nuvola lamp with its intricate weave of aluminum wire and tiny bulbs, as well as the Gold Moon Chandelier and Fil de Fer Outdoor, the focal point of the spa’s outdoor terrace, where the luminous spheres blend with the wooden architecture.

Photo © Günther Standl

IFDM | 159

Winter 2025

PERUGIA, ITALY | BORGO DEI CONTI RESORT FIEMME TREMILA

In the renovation of the new Colonica at Borgo dei Conti Resort, inaugurated in May 2025, wood becomes an identity-defining material thanks to the project developed by Fiemme Tremila. The intervention, curated by Spagnulo & Partners in continuity with the work on the entire estate, introduces 2,600 sqm of biocompatible surfaces in a single essence: Ricco oak from the Boschi di Fiemme collection. Three installation patterns – Italian herringbone, running plank and custommade parquet panels – shape functions and atmospheres, engaging with the site’s history and the chromatic richness of the Umbrian landscape.

A tailor-made approach that combines quality, healthiness and personalization, consistent with the philosophy of the resort and the design vision guiding the entire project.

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SHORT STORIES

Winter 2025

SHORT STORIES

MILAN | ORIZZONTI RESTAURANT | MARGRAF

Situated on the thirteenth floor of the Uptown Palace, with a spectacular view over Milan, Orizzonti demonstrates how marble can transform a space, lending it theatrical elegance and distinctive character. Margraf has crafted 300 square metres of polished Zebrato marble flooring, complemented by a four-metre-long Silver Stream marble dining table: a sculptural monolith that combines a commanding presence with contemporary hospitality.

The atmosphere is further enhanced by Raffaello Galiotto’s Velata Drapes collection, sculpted surfaces that reinterpret the lightness of fabrics in precious marbles. A perfect fusion of material expertise and innovation makes Orizzonti a unique sensory destination in the vibrant heart of Milan.

IFDM | 161

Winter 2025

DUBAI MALL | ATLAS CONCORDE

For the Dubai Mall expansion by Kohn Pedersen Fox and CallisonRTKL, Atlas Concorde lends its resin- and concrete-effect surfaces to the project. Atlas Concorde’s surfaces, inspired by resin and concrete, feature prominently in the Dubai Mall’s new extension, located in Downtown Dubai beneath the Burj Khalifa. In the new China Town area, designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox and CallisonRTKL, porcelain stoneware becomes a key element in creating exclusive, striking spaces. On the first floor, opposite the ice rink, the Prism collection in Prism Cloud and Prism Cotton resin-effect tiles stands out for its depth of colour and hand-finished spatula technique, offering cosmopolitan elegance.

The shopfronts and areas evoking an Asian experience are enhanced by the Boost concrete-effect collection in the soft Pearl shade, bringing an urban chic touch with distinctly Italian style. Spatula-finished surfaces, soft to the touch and rich in detailed patterns, define original and memorable environments.

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SHORT STORIES

Winter 2025

SHORT STORIES

ROME | TEATRO DELLA COMETA POLTRONA FRAU

A project that restores to the city of Rome a place suspended between historical memory and cultural innovation. Built in 1958 to a design by architect Tomaso Buzzi and Countess Anna Laetitia “Mimì” Pecci Blunt, Rome’s Teatro della Cometa returns, after five years of closure, to its original beauty and functionality with a new visual identity by the Sonnoli studio. The redevelopment project required a delicate balance between innovation and heritage protection, with each seat designed to blend in with the original architectural elements from the 1950s, while complying with structural constraints and safety regulations. Poltrona Frau’s contribution, at the invitation of architect Fabio Tudisco, consisted of the Custom Interiors Business Unit developing seats inspired by the TLT model, adapting them to the specific characteristics of the stalls, gallery 1, and gallery 2. Three different heights were created for optimal viewing from every point in the hall, with particular attention paid to the angle of the seat and backrest in order to optimize visibility and acoustic enjoyment.

IFDM | 163

Winter 2025

ISLE-SUR-LA-SORGUE, FRANCE | ISLE DE LEOS HOTEL & SPA MGALLERY | TALENTI

In Provence, a charming retreat where nature, culture, and design come together to create an intense experience. The Isle de Leos Hotel&Spa MGallery, a new 5-star boutique hotel with 49 rooms, is located in L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, in the heart of Provence. The result of a project by architect and designer Jean Philippe Nuel and the vision of its owner, artist Patrick Bruel, it celebrates local craftsmanship and the soul of the territory: from marble and wood sourced from the region to furnishings and objects selected from the famous antique dealers of L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue. “We had the opportunity to develop a new range of furniture inspired by the location with Talenti,” explains Nuel. “The approach, which I would describe as quiet luxury, favors authentic materials such as wood, leather, and rope, worked in their essentiality and set in dialogue with pure, timeless lines.”

The pool, lounge areas, terraces, and gardens have been furnished with entirely custom-made pieces, created by Talenti exclusively for the hotel.

164 | IFDM

SHORT STORIES

Winter 2025

SHORT STORIES

FLORENCE, ITALY | W FLORENCE ALESSANDRO BINI

In Florence, an architectural gem from the 1960s gets a new life with tailored textiles and a refined retro-modern sensibility. W Florence stands as a manifesto of rediscovered modernity, set within a late-Brutalist structure from 1968 designed by architect Lando Bartoli, just steps from the Medici Chapels. Though conceived as a hotel, the building once housed a bank; its former vault now serves as the property’s gym. The interiors – shaped in part by Alessandro Bini’s textiles, some created specifically for the project – embrace rhythmic geometries that echo the linear patterns of the floors, establishing a subtly retro-modern tone. Velvets, jacquards, and custom fabrics define the forms and functions of the furnishings, conceived to engage with the architecture rather than overwhelm it. The result is an essential yet distinctive ensemble that weaves memory and contemporaneity, giving the city a place that opens itself to a renewed gaze.

IFDM | 165

Winter 2025

SHORT STORIES

UMLUJ, SAUDI ARABIA | NUJUMA, RITZ-CARLTON RESERVE | VIMAR

At Nujuma, Ritz-Carlton Reserve – seventh jewel of the collection and the first in Saudi Arabia – luxury meets sustainability in an unspoilt corner of the Red Sea. Designed by Foster + Partners as an archipelago of shell-inspired villas, the resort embraces natural materials, soft organic geometries and reversible construction systems to safeguard its delicate coastal ecosystem. In this refined context, Vimar supplies its Eikon series: Evo, in brushed dark bronze that mirrors the warm tones of the surrounding sands, and Exé, in pure white to echo the crystalline luminosity of the sea. Integrating over 200 functions, these solutions combine design precision and technological intelligence, ensuring elegant control of lighting, energy and comfort. A fusion of aesthetics and environmental awareness that reinforces the resort’s eco-chic vision and elevates the guest experience.

166 | IFDM

Winter 2025

SHORT STORIES

RASUN-ANTERSELVA, ITALY | ANSITZ HEUFLER | UNOPIÙ

An ancient 16th-century residence in the heart of the Dolomites, where historic architecture dialogues with contemporary design. With its 10 rooms, the Ansitz Heufler hotel project, designed by three-star chef Norbert Niederkofler, is immersed in the Dolomite nature of the Val Anterselva. Deeply rooted in the local area, mountain hospitality translates into slow, contemplative rhythms, ancient wood and minimalist design, and South Tyrolean cuisine inspired by the “Cook the Mountain” philosophy, where every ingredient tells the story of the farms of the Anterselva Valley, the seasons, and a love for the local area. The discreet elegance of the Synthesis collection by Unopiù was chosen to furnish the hotel’s outdoor spaces. Made of teak and hand-woven WaProLace® synthetic fiber, Synthesis is an expression of balance between traditional craftsmanship and aesthetic research, while the quality of the materials guarantees resistance to climatic variations, from intense cold to humidity and sun exposure.

Photo © Ansitz Heufler

IFDM | 167

Winter 2025

CREMONA, ITALY | 10 MANZONI APARTHOTEL WALLPEPPER®

A careful restoration project has transformed a prestigious Art Nouveau building into a hotel, restoring the original charm of its historic architecture. The 10 Manzoni Aparthotel, just a few steps from Piazza Duomo in Cremona, has undergone careful restoration work that has restored the original charm of the historic architecture, together with an interior design project with a highly distinctive aesthetic language.

The building consists of eight separate residences accessed from a large common room, the convivial heart of the building. Each residence interprets a different mood, defined by color palettes, furnishings, and stylistic choices that enhance its uniqueness. “The desire to decisively characterize all the rooms and offer guests different living solutions led to the decision to customize the walls of the eight units with aesthetically striking and technically impeccable wallpapers,” says project curator Michele Bianchi of the ARKPABI Architecture Studio. The WallPepper® graphics used are: Hunter’s Lodge, MarBleplacE, To the wOOd, Time Capsule, Round but Lines, You&Tub, Golden Rings, and The Double Arches.

168 | IFDM

SHORT STORIES

Winter 2025

SHORT STORIES

PARIS | CARTIER | LCD TEXTILE EDITION

With a touch of class, LcD Textile Edition enriches the Salon Cocteau at Cartier’s headquarters on Rue de la Paix in Paris. The blue of the wood panelling meets Rain Black Blue in synthetic horsehair and semi-precious metal, giving the salon an electrifying touch in harmony with the interior design by Bruno Moinard. For over 30 years, LcD Textile Edition has been weaving technical fibres and semi-precious metals for a collection dedicated to light and mainly vertical applications, sometimes incorporated into glass or resin. Based in Belgium and France, its laboratories revisit the ancient technique of jacquard and offer a bespoke colouring service for leading architects and interior designers: Peter Marino in New York, Bruno Moinard in Paris, Peregalli in Milan, Curiosity in Tokyo, as well as for historical residences such as the Soestdijk Palace in the heart of the Netherlands, fashion labels such as Dior, and Michelin-starred restaurants such as Carlo Cracco’s in Milan.

IFDM | 169

Winter 2025

SHORT STORIES LONATO DEL GARDA, ITALY OXYTURBO HEADQUARTERS | SCHÜCO

A new headquarters meticulously designed to meet the specific needs of every department and place people’s well-being at its core. Conceived by Studio F.G.I. Visconti, the new headquarters for Oxyturbo SpA – a Lonato del Garda (BS) company with over forty years of experience in pressure reducers and industrial gas solutions – stands out for its functional and interconnected spaces, fostering a fluid relationship between production, offices, and common areas. A pivotal element of the project is the curtain wall, crafted with recyclable and durable Schüco aluminum systems, which ensures abundant natural light and visual continuity between interior and exterior. This design choice perfectly aligns with the company’s philosophy of “transparency” and sharing. “Driven by the client’s vision, we sought an architectural purity that reflected the genuine nature of Oxyturbo’s operations,” states Architect Alberto Visconti. The building envelope ensures high thermal and acoustic performance, contributing to reduced energy consumption and enhanced indoor well-being. The building boasts an A+ energy class rating and has achieved LEED certification.

Photo © Stefano Marchiante

170 | IFDM

Winter 2025

SHORT STORIES

CASABLANCA, MOROCCO | HOTEL LE MERIDIEN | SLAMP

Studio Marco Piva’s design for the Le Meridien hotel in Casablanca identified light as the key design element, capable of enhancing the architectural narrative and becoming the defining storytelling component of the spaces. “With Slamp, we share a vision: light is not merely a technical tool, but a living material, capable of imbuing an environment with identity and evoking emotion in those who experience it. For this reason, we selected the Nuvem and Hugo lamps, perfect for highlighting the project’s key areas and reinforcing its architectural narrative,” explains Jennifer Bassani, Chief of Interior Design at Studio Marco Piva. The Nuvem modular lighting and wall decoration system, designed by Miguel Arruda, was installed in the lobby, positioned between the two main pillars that frame the reception desk. The Hugo suspension lamp was chosen for the bar area of Le Safran restaurant, celebrated for its ability to offer a contemporary interpretation of liquid surfaces.

IFDM | 171

Winter 2025

SHORT STORIES

CITADELLA, ITALY | PRIVATE RESIDENCE | MARMO ARREDO

The design of a private residence subtly integrates with the site’s heritage through the skillful use of natural stone. Natural stone from Marmo Arredo is the central element of this refined private residence renovation, defining every space. In the kitchen, Taj Mahal Quartzite forms both the countertop with peninsula and integrated sink, as well as the wall cladding and shelves, while in the bathrooms, the material takes center stage. In the master bathroom, polished Calacatta Vagli Oro is laid in a book-matched pattern on the walls and floor, while the vanity top, crafted from a single block, features two seamlessly sculpted sinks. A similar solution defines the second bathroom, clad in book-matched Calacatta Borghini, with a monolithic top accommodating the sinks. For the third bathroom, honed Nero Portoro Imperiale and Calacatta were chosen. In the sleeping area, storage units are topped with Calacatta Monet, while in the living area, two custom-made tables reveal the project’s more creative spirit. The first is in Cipollino Rosso from the Chiglia collection, a collaboration with Stefano Boeri Interiors. The second, in Classic Travertine, features a base sculpted from a single block into two adjacent cylinders.

172 | IFDM

Winter 2025

SHORT STORIES

TALLINN, ESTONIA | THE BURMAN HOTEL | BELTRAMI

The Italian brand Beltrami, part of La Bottega Collective, curated a bespoke textile program for The Burman Hotel, elevating every aspect of the guest experience. For the rooms, it supplied comprehensive technical bedding and refined cotton-sateen linens with personalized finishes.

Bathrooms were enhanced with towels and bathrobes crafted from Beltrami’s Autentica Fibra di Legno (Authentic Wood Fiber), alongside bath mats. Service areas benefit from elegant room-service napkins and custom spa towels.

Dining venues, including Shang Shi, Écrin, and Ko Yo, were also adorned with bespoke table linens, some pieces featuring Autentica Fibra di Legno or delicate embroidery. This integrated textile program brings distinctive Italian quality and tailoring to every corner of the hotel, ensuring an experience of discreet and enveloping luxury.

IFDM | 173

PARIS 15–19 JAN 2026

maison-objet.com

Design Inspirations

Living sculptures

On cover: Fedrigo by Zanotta, design Vincent Van Duysen

Contemporary upholstered furniture combines sensory comfort with essential lines, focusing on modularity, soft volumes, and curvilinear profiles. Tactile fabrics, sartorial stitching, and enveloping shapes transform sofas and armchairs into micro-architectures of wellbeing, capable of adapting to spaces and defining new relaxation experiences.

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IFDM | 175

Winter 2025

DESIGN INSPIRATIONS KOJI | GIUSEPPE VIGANÒ | PORADA

The Koji modular system reinterprets the linearity of forms with a soft and generous elegance, offering modular volumes capable of delineating bespoke domestic scenarios. The Koji modular sofa, designed by Giuseppe Viganò for Porada, is characterized by a solid wood detail that becomes its distinctive element. This element, which envelops the volume of the seat, enhances the softness of the upholstery. Comfortable and functional, it can be upholstered with leathers and fabrics from the Porada collection.

TOBU | FRANCESCO ROTA | PORRO

Informal yet elegant, Porro’s Tobu seating system articulates into linear or angular configurations, offering free solutions and postures tailored to one’s desires. The Tobu sofa, designed by Francesco Rota for Porro, rests directly on the floor on a solid base from which wing-shaped backrests and armrests emerge, upholstered in leather or fabric. Slightly inclined backward, they define a light and elegant profile. The high and generous seats feature cushions of differentiated density, while the loose cushions add further softness and compositional flexibility.

Photo © Alberto Strada

JOAN | JEAN-MARIE MASSAUD | POLIFORM

Sartorial language and attention to detail characterize the Joan sofa, signed by JeanMarie Massaud for Poliform. Joan embodies the pursuit of the essential: clean lines and generous volumes define a minimalist design inspired by the world of fashion, with perfect proportions and extreme attention to detail.

The upholstery is enhanced by tone-on-tone or contrasting profiles, while modular elements, whether curved or linear, allow for personalized configurations.

176 | IFDM

Winter 2025

DESIGN INSPIRATIONS

SAO MIGUEL | STEFANO GALLIZIOLI | NEUTRA

Stone, Neutra’s symbolic material, is the distinctive element of the Sao Miguel sofa, designed by Stefano Gallizioli. Sao Miguel, the result of the collaboration between Stefano Gallizioli and Neutra, is a modular system of upholstered furniture with soft, fluid, and welcoming lines. Poufs and support surfaces are arranged around the main seat like small satellites, evoking the fragmented geography of an archipelago. The support surface is made with a marble slab that holds the generous and soft fabric-covered volumes.

Photo © Carolina Gheri

IFDM | 177

Winter 2025

DESIGN INSPIRATIONS

ECLISSE | CARLO COLOMBO ELIE SAAB MAISON

A sofa that becomes architecture, through its marked and deep graphic sign and an extended modularity that defines, separates, and creates new spaces for meeting and relaxation. In Eclisse, Carlo Colombo infuses the architectural heritage of Milan, from neoclassical grandeur to modernist purity, translating these influences into a powerful design language of curved volumes and an imposing presence. Eclisse consists of a double structure: an external shell in lacquered MDF or covered in leather, and a padded interior, complete with tone-on-tone cushions embellished with the ELIE SAAB monogram.

GALA | DAVID LOPEZ QUINCOCES | LIVING DIVANI

A feminine and sinuous project, made of soft curves: David Lopez Quincoces signs the Gala collection for Living Divani. Gala, comprising an armchair and sofas in various sizes, finds its essence in the strength of the curve, which defines its silhouette and becomes a distinctive element. The fluidity of lines and volumes shapes a new idea of relaxation, capable of inhabiting and characterizing space.

CHICAGO | PAOLA NAVONE | BAXTER

Designed to offer an immersive, tactile, and visual experience, Baxter’s Chicago sofa stands out for the stitching that defines its surface.

Designed by Paola Navone for Baxter, Chicago features generously rounded forms, with curves crafted to envelop the body in a protective embrace. The delicate stitching, through its interplay of subtle tension, enhances the perception of softness. Baxter leather adapts with natural elegance to the sinuous lines, breathing and transforming with use.

Photo © Andrea Ferrari

178 | IFDM

Winter 2025

DESIGN INSPIRATIONS CLARA | FEDERICA BIASI | FRIGERIO

Unusual materials, sinuous forms, and tactile surfaces characterize Frigerio’s new MaterialForm collection. The Clara armchair elegantly and thoughtfully explores the relationship between material, form, and perception. Resting on a base and pleasantly inclined, Clara is a lounge armchair designed by Federica Biasi that introduces a novel experience to the Frigerio living space. Perfect as a single seat, facing or alongside a sofa, it creates original relaxation areas when grouped, fostering interaction and conversation thanks to its slightly forward-leaning posture.

Photo © Gionata Xerra

BRANDO | VALENTINI

Valentini’s Brando is an upholstered sofa whose shape recalls the elegance of a seashell, thanks to its vertical stitching. A distinctive element of the Brando sofa is the modern reinterpretation of capitonné, masterfully applied to both fabrics and fine leathers. This technique enhances the three-dimensionality of the surfaces, creating refined plays of light and shadow. Its relaxing essence is defined by soft and curvilinear lines, available in rectangular, curved, and corner compositions capable of harmoniously interacting with spaces.

MELVIL | MARC SADLER | DESIREE

Desiree’s Melvil sofa enriches any living space thanks to its ergonomic design, which guarantees comfort, and its robust construction, which ensures longevity. Sadler signs Melvil for Desiree, a project that reduces comfort to its essence, eliminating every superfluous element. The seat is characterized by a capitonné effect and visible stitching that defines its contour. The collection includes mobile backrests of various shapes, linear or angular, which can be used individually or combined with a black chrome metal structure.

IFDM | 179

Winter 2025

DESIGN INSPIRATIONS YORI-KIRI | FRANCESCA LANZAVECCHIA | ZANOTTA

Moments of relaxation and well-being with invisible technology: this is the goal of the Yori-Kiri armchair for Zanotta. Zanotta expands its armchair collection with Yori-Kiri, the new lounge chair designed by Francesca Lanzavecchia, presented alongside a coordinated pouf. The reclining mechanism allows for finding the ideal position naturally, without invasive technical elements.

OPALE | PATRICK JOUIN | PEDRALI

Opale’s rear legs ascend to the backrest and merge with the upholstery, becoming an ornamental element of the seat. Designed by Patrick Jouin for Pedrali, Opale is an armchair with solid walnut or ash legs that harmoniously integrate with the backrest and armrests. Their oval section gradually tapers to become round and slender. Opale is distinguished by a functional handle integrated into the back of the backrest, which blends seamlessly with the armchair’s silhouette.

Art direction Studio FM Milano - Photo © Omar Sartor, set design & styling Studio Milo

UNLIMITED | FRANCESCO ROTA DESALTO

Unlimited is Desalto’s seating system, distinguished by truly limitless modularity. The starting point for Unlimited, designed by Francesco Rota for Desalto, is the square-shaped element and the backrest that wraps around its top: fundamental components that allow different seats to be combined to create poufs, armchairs, chaise longues, and daybeds. The system evolves with the introduction of three new corner modules: 90°, 45° Internal, and 45° External, designed to further expand compositional possibilities.

180 | IFDM

Winter 2025

DESIGN INSPIRATIONS

MIKI | PIERATTELLI ARCHITETTURE | LEMA

Upholstered in fabric, leather, or synthetic leather, Lema’s Miki armchair embodies ideals of softness, comfort, and dynamism. Designed by Pierattelli Architetture for Lema, Miki features a large seat cushion enveloped by a padded shell that extends to form the backrest and armrests, creating a welcoming structure. Compact in size, yet slender thanks to its high backrest, it is offered in two variants: with a central die-cast aluminum pedestal or with four support feet.

IFDM | 181

Winter 2025

DESIGN INSPIRATIONS

HYBLA | ELISA OSSINO | DE PADOVA

Precise stitching and selected materials enhance the tactility and durability of De Padova’s Hybla sofa, designed to meet the demands of contemporary living. Hybla is the fourth sofa in De Padova’s upholstered collection designed by Elisa Ossino. Its inspiration is rooted in the timeless elegance of the 1970s, while modularity represents one of its distinctive features. Essential lines and thin profiles define a light and sophisticated silhouette, while the generous and soft seating ensures a total relaxation experience.

BAGUETTE | DANIELE LO SCALZO MOSCHERI | BUSNELLI

A deconstructed volume characterizes Busnelli’s Baguette sofa, where stitching becomes graphic marks that define its form. Designed by Daniele Lo Scalzo Moscheri for Busnelli, Baguette is a tribute to Italian craftsmanship. The organic and curvilinear effect of the upholstered components is achieved through special processes that sculpt the sofa’s volume into separate portions, yet maintain a formal continuity that guarantees absolute comfort.

KAMARI | PAOLO GRASSELLI | TWILS

The shapes of Kamari sofa’s various elements, only seemingly casual, were designed by Paolo Grasselli to combine harmoniously. Inspired by the ancient walls of the Palace of Mycenae, Paolo Grasselli conceived Kamari for Twils, a sofa system where rationality and ergonomics spontaneously converge in the softness of the upholstery. The mobile backrests and armrests make the system particularly flexible.

Proportions and details are designed to allow the islands to integrate perfectly with the system.

182 | IFDM

Winter 2025

DESIGN INSPIRATIONS KOBOLD | ERWAN BOUROULLEC | LIGNE ROSET

Like a habitable platform: Kobold is Ligne Roset’s modular sofa, born from the idea of producing better, with fewer materials and resources, while maintaining high rigor in the execution of forms. Created by Erwan Bouroullec for Ligne Roset, Kobold is not just a sofa: it’s a modular collection designed to adapt to all needs and every space. Inspired by ship gangways, each element is functional and can be freely reconfigured for sitting, lying down, storing objects, or resting. Pictured, the Soft version, appealing to millennial tastes, offers a low seat (36 cm) and numerous feather cushions.

OWEN | ENRICO CESANA | MARAC

Owen by Marac is an island of comfort and design, characterized by generously sized, enveloping seating where the backrest and base merge into a harmonious whole. The Owen sofa, designed by Enrico Cesana for Marac, is a modular proposal that allows for ever-new configurations, combining different elements and customizing them with armrests and coffee tables. Perfect for residential spaces or hospitality environments, the project also includes a dedicated coffee table, conceived to fluidly interact with the sofa itself.

BLISSCAPE | LUDOVICA SERAFINI + ROBERTO PALOMBA | POLTRONA FRAU

Blisscape is born from the union of “bliss” and “escape”: an oasis of tranquility, a perfect definition for Poltrona Frau’s sofa.

Every detail of the Blisscape sofa, designed

by Ludovica Serafini + Roberto Palomba for Poltrona Frau, evokes well-being: advanced foam seat cushions guarantee breathability, softness, and shape retention, while a hidden mechanism in the backrest cushions allows them to be adjusted for head support. All of this rests on a Pelle Frau®-covered platform, slightly raised from the floor for a suspended effect.

IFDM | 183

The continents only trade fair catering exclusively to cruise interior design Dedicated to connection and collaboration, CSI Europe brings together the cruise interiors supply chain with esteemed cruise lines, shipyards, and designers working on major refurbishment and newbuild projects. . Gain industry insight & career development . Source innovative products & services . Network with your peers . Create new long-term partnerships Featuring:

3 – 4 December 2025 Hamburg Messe + Congress

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IFDM | 185

Winter 2025

MADRID | CASA LAMAR CEDACEROS 9 TOUZA ARQUITECTOS | PATRICIA URQUIOLA

This landmark development, debuting ultra-luxury Casa Lamar brand, comprises just 22 residences from one to five-bedroom apartments. A unique conversion from office to high-end residential, Casa Lamar Cedaceros 9 blends period features with modern necessities.

Madrid-based architecture firm Touza Arquitectos has sensitively restored original elements, from the preserved neo-Mudéjar red brick courtyard façade to the striking travertine marble street façade, creating a dialogue between past and present. Patricia Urquiola lends her vision of purposeful elegance transforming every interior into a space that is as conceptually refined as it is emotionally resonant. Interiors are defined by deep, earthy tones, tactile oak finishes, and bespoke details that create a sense of ease and refinement. Each kitchen serves as sculptural centres of the home, crafted from richly veined stones with unique counter tops personalised to each residence. Rich travertine contrasts with warm wooden cabinetry, a dialogue of materiality that feels both timeless and modern. Casa Lamar Cedaceros 9 offers a suite of lifestyle amenities: a private wine cellar, a spa with an indoor swimming pool, a treatment suite with steam room and sauna, a state-of-the-art fitness centre, a Residents’ Club and Lounge Bar, a signature cocktail bar, a landscaped roof garden and private parking.

Renders © courtesy Casa Lamar

186 | IFDM

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Winter 2025

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BOLZANO, ITALY | RENNERIA | GAZZINI REAL ESTATE GROUP | NOA

Located in Pineta di Laives, on a 13-hectare site south of Bolzano, Renneria takes its name from Maso Renner, a traditional South Tyrolean farm dating back to the 14th century. The project transforms a currently agricultural plot already edged by urbanized areas and connected to key infrastructure. With around 800 residential units, Renneria embraces the principles of functional proximity: an urban ecosystem where housing, workplaces, schools, restaurants, healthcare services, childcare facilities, and leisure spaces intertwine into a vital and accessible fabric, designed as a low-traffic neighborhood where walking, cycling, and public transport become the norm. Agriculture lies at the heart of the project. Urban gardens, cultivated rooftops, and orchards establish a deep continuity with the site’s historical identity and serve as authentic community catalysts.

These productive green spaces double as educational hubs, gathering places, and local food networks, enabling residents to grow fresh produce and reconnect with the land. Architecturally, Renneria is born from a simple yet powerful idea: extruding the terrain to transform it into inhabitable architecture – lifting the landscape and preserving the existing contour lines. The buildings follow the natural slope, acting as a seamless transition between city and landscape. Volumes are clad in wooden slats – arranged horizontally on residential buildings and vertically on public ones – and topped with accessible green roofs. The district will provide over 70,000 m² of deep green, allowing tall trees to flourish and creating a rich urban ecosystem. The three new squares define urban rhythm: the southern square will host a market, the central square will be a lively hub of shops and cafés, and the northern square will focus on education and youth, hosting a childcare center, workshops, student housing, a cafeteria, bar, and entertainment spaces.

Render © Cosmoscube

IFDM | 187

Winter 2025

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GRAND CAYMAN | OCEAN HOUSE, MANDARIN ORIENTAL RESIDENCES MELKONIAN CAPITAL MANAGEMENT | RAL COMPANIES | AW2

Perched atop a dramatic ocean cliff, Ocean House encompasses 22 exquisitely crafted two-, three-, and four-bedroom residences, which were imagined as a belvedere towards the sea. AW2 has provided expansive glass and has opened the views from each part of the apartment. This allows for a complete open façade while maintaining a very high degree of privacy for each resident. The angles and curves of the façade enable to control the views while maintaining privacy. Tropical Caribbean architecture is organized to protect the facades from the rain and sun, and to create vast outdoor living spaces. The wide terraces act exactly in this way, but in a contemporary way where the interior spaces are integrated into the terraces. The materials were chosen to reflect the colours of the site. Bright colours were excluded for the facades. The bronze and champagne colours blend into the greens of the nature around. For the interiors, natural and refined materials were used to keep the continuity of nature throughout. The Ocean House Residences showcase indoor and outdoor living with sweeping ocean views, expansive private terraces, and elegantly appointed interiors. Overall, the development offers 822 sqm of ocean frontage including a 300 sqm secluded crescent beach, 27 hectares of lush tropical landscape, and unobstructed panoramic views from one of the highest natural elevations on Grand Cayman Island. Residents will enjoy access to the legendary service of Mandarin Oriental featuring concierge services in tandem with an extensive collection of award-winning wellness, culinary, and recreational amenities. The property features an ocean view spa and fitness center, private infinity pools, diving and various marine activities, and multiple oceanfront dining concepts.

Scheduled for completion in 2028, Mandarin Oriental Grand Cayman marks the brand’s first new-construction 91-key resort (Beach Club Hotel & Ocean House Residences) in the Caribbean.

Renders © AW2, Mandarin Oriental

188 | IFDM

Winter 2025

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HEESEN | FRIDA | OMEGA ARCHITECTS | LUCA DINI DESIGN & ARCHITECTURE

Frida is the latest addition to the Heesen’s 55-metre Steel Series, available for fast delivery by Q2 2026. Featuring a clean and crisp exterior styling, she takes on a muscular yet elegant design, striking the perfect balance between being large enough to offer the luxury expected from a superyacht but compact enough to access charming Mediterranean ports. The exterior lines by Omega Architects complement a well-tested iteration of the patented FDHF devised by Van Oossanen, and expertly refined by Heesen’s in-house team. Nine carefully selected, high-performance marine paint colour schemes are available for Project Frida. The darker tones of stealth grey and sapphire dark blue suggest power. The lighter colours of ice grey and perfect taupe suggest a cool and refreshing onboard environment. Versatile outdoor spaces offer endless possibilities for dining, relaxation, and entertainment.

Thoughtfully selected furniture allows for flexible arrangements, effortlessly adapting to different activities and social gatherings, ensuring guests enjoy comfort and style throughout the day. Interiors, designed by Luca Dini Design & Architecture, offer a contemporary take on classic yacht design.

The interior palette combines light, neutral tones, with rich mahogany wood and dark brown accents. Frida accommodates up to 12 guests across 6 staterooms, including a 86-square-metre owner’s suite on the main deck, and provides accommodation for 13 crew members.

IFDM | 189

Winter 2025

FLORENCE, ITALY | MANIFATTURA FIRENZE FUTURA AND ZENIT | PIUARCH | Q-BIC QUINCOCES DRAGÒ & PARTNERS

In September 2025, construction began on Futura, a new residential building designed by Piuarch in collaboration with q-bic. It is the only newly built residential project within Florence’s former industrial area, featuring 98 apartments with loggia terraces distributed over nine floors. Futura offers custom-designed spaces for anyone seeking a welcoming home that combines aesthetic appeal, functionality, and comfort. The building provides a range of exclusive amenities for residents, including concierge service, a pet room for the care of domestic animals, bicycle and e-bike parking, an equipped bike lab, a fitness area, and direct access to the underground parking garage. All services have been designed to enhance daily living, ensuring comfort, convenience, and safety. Completion is scheduled for 2027. By July 2026 another residential building will be ready to welcome residents: Zenit, designed by Quincoces Dragò & Partners, includes 34 new housing units in the iconic building that marks the entrance to Florence’s new contemporary district.

190 | IFDM

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Winter 2025

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MILAN | TORRE VELASCA | SUNSET HOSPITALITY GROUP | ASTET STUDIO

A series of interior spaces within the iconic Torre Velasca set to be completed in early 2026, a collection of environments that embody Milanese elegance, classic and contemporary aesthetics, refined materiality, spatial contrast, and cultural reference. On the 17th floor, the Madison House Members Club is conceived as a private retreat beyond time. Drawing from the Neo Liberty movement and the grand ‘ingressi’ of Milanese buildings from the 1950s and 60s, the space layers deep tones of burgundy and green with velvet, stone, dark wood, and subtle metallic accents. The space is shaped not only by natural light but also by the panoramic view of the Duomo, which served as a constant reference throughout the design process. This contrast between exterior vastness and interior softness defines the club’s unique identity. Beneath ground level, the wellness area and gym take a different approach, embracing the brutalist language of Torre Velasca’s structure. Raw materials such as concrete are contrasted with dark wood and organic forms, fostering a sense of introspection, calm, and restoration. Without the distraction of natural light, the space is conceived as a cocoon, an urban sanctuary for relaxation and collective well-being. Bespoke elements are present throughout the project.

From custom furniture and lighting to made-to-measure surfaces, the emphasis on tailored design reflects the architects’ commitment to craftsmanship and detail.

IFDM | 191

NEXT IN THE WORLD

Winter 2025

Overview

New top hotels: investments shift focus to the Far East

F

top hotel

ollowing last year’s positive trend, data for new top-tier hotels under construction in Europe and the Middle East show a slight decline, while the Far East continues its steady ascent. In the Old Continent, 2,525 hotels are currently in the design and construction phases, representing a 3.8% decrease compared to a year ago. Of these, 874 are expected to open by the end of 2026. Germany firmly maintains its lead in attracting new investments, with projects rising to 663 (a 5.2% increase), further widening the gap from its immediate followers – such as the United Kingdom, Spain, and Italy – all of which are experiencing a downturn.

With 81 projects, Greece enters the top ten most dynamic European countries in the sector. The number of top hotels planned for the Middle East has dropped to 800, a 4% decrease from last year. This indicates a scaled-back scenario after the recovery seen in 2024, though certainly not in Saudi Arabia, which further strengthens its leadership with 321 projects, an impressive 7.4% increase. Turkey’s boom from a year ago has cooled, but it still maintains a significant 143 projects. Once again, the largest investments in the sector are concentrated in the Far East, which continues to grow, albeit modestly, not exceeding 0.5%. The most interesting element within this positive regional trend is China’s reversal, with projects falling to 1,108, a sharp 17.4% decline. This figure doesn’t erode Beijing’s dominance in Asia but, combined with India’s sensational leap forward (545 projects, a +40%!), significantly narrows the gap between the two.

ONGOING HOTEL PROJECTS

Marriott International ONGOING HOTEL PROJECTS 1,180 PROJECTS IN TOP COUNTRIES USA 361 - CHINA 278 - INDIA 51 TURKEY 23 - GERMANY 20

Hilton Worldwide CONSTRUCTIONS 820 CONSTRUCTIONS IN TOP COUNTRIES USA 283 - CHINA 133 - TURKEY 27

NEW

NEW

NEW

2,525

800

2,885

EUROPE

MIDDLE EAST

FAR EAST

IN

IN

IN

STATUS

STATUS

STATUS

VISION 92 PRE-PLANNING 359 PLANNING 1,002 UNDER CONSTRUCTION 930 PRE-OPENING 142

VISION 9 PRE-PLANNING 126 PLANNING 161 UNDER CONSTRUCTION 443 PRE-OPENING 61

VISION 66 PRE-PLANNING 532 PLANNING 595 UNDER CONSTRUCTION 1,506 PRE-OPENING 186

NEXT OPENING

NEXT OPENING

NEXT OPENING

BY 2026 874

BY 2026 298

BY 2026 895

PROJECTS IN TOP COUNTRIES

PROJECTS IN TOP COUNTRIES

PROJECTS IN TOP COUNTRIES

GERMANY 663 UNITED KINGDOM 455 SPAIN 200 ITALY 141 AUSTRIA 88 FRANCE 87 PORTUGAL 84 GREECE 81 SWITZERLAND 74 POLAND 73

SAUDI ARABIA 321 TURKEY 143 UNITED ARAB EMIRATES 129 ISRAEL 67 OMAN 41 GEORGIA 37 QATAR 17 BAHRAIN 10 IRAQ 8 ARMENIA 5

CHINA 1,108 INDIA 545 AUSTRALIA 185 INDONESIA 168 THAILAND 166 VIETNAM 152 JAPAN 95 MALAYSIA 86 PHILIPPINES 80 MALDIVES 33

UNITED KINGDOM 26 - ITALY 12

InterContinental Hotels Group CONSTRUCTIONS 735 CONSTRUCTIONS IN TOP COUNTRIES CHINA 181 - USA 98 - INDIA 51 THAILAND 32 - GERMANY 30

AccorHotels CONSTRUCTIONS 545 CONSTRUCTIONS IN TOP COUNTRIES CHINA 92 - SAUDI ARABIA 36 - INDIA 24 GERMANY 20 - THAILAND 17

Hyatt Hotels Corporation CONSTRUCTIONS 405 CONSTRUCTIONS IN TOP COUNTRIES CHINA 120 - USA 92 - INDIA 47 CANADA 22 - SAUDI ARABIA 16

source: TopHotelProjects.com

192 | IFDM

TOP PROJECTS EUROPE Pearl Hotel in Dubrovnik, Croatia Phase: Planning 5,000 rooms

MIDDLE EAST Abraj Kudai Towers in Makkah, Saudi Arabia Phase: Under Construction 9,760 rooms

FAR EAST Shenzhen Bay Area Convention and Exhibition International Hotel Phase: Vision 4,000 rooms

EUR 35.00 | USD 45.00 | wonder.ifdm.design

NEXT ISSUE: Spring 2026

Spring 2026

In March, the Spring Spin-Off Projects & Hospitality by IFDM: you will discover the new color trends 2027 and international projects, interviews with major players and the new “Design Inspiration” through the products selection. For a complete, up-to-date view on the contract and hospitality industry.