Trieste, Italy
CaberlonCaroppi architects renovate a 1900s building in the center of Trieste and convert it into a luxury hotel combining original architectural elements with contemporary design.
This renovation project has been awarded a 2021 International Architecture Award by The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design and The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies.
The intervention involved a set of works aimed at the re-functionalization of the building, which for years housed an insurance company, so as to transform it into a hotel with a double objective.
On the one hand, to preserve the original features of the building while respecting the architectural constraints and, on the other, to insert contemporary design elements that are combined with the practical aspects of an accommodation facility.
The hotel has 125 rooms, including 25 suites, reception areas, meeting room, wellness center, and SPA, as well as multifunctional conference rooms, to meet the needs of each guest while always ensuring maximum comfort.
In the opposite case, environments of great visual impact have been recreated drawing inspiration from the eclectic aesthetics of Trieste.
The lift lobby is an example of this: a passage area that winds under a pyramid-shaped glass cloister, creating a set of lighting features designed to be eye-catching.
The coverings of the panoramic lifts and the elegant but absolutely flexible design of the upholstery make the space rich and fully integrated into the context.
The bar’s historic lounge features contemporary design elements combined with restored historic seating, framed by a gold coffered ceiling.
The same applies to the eccentric bar counter, which is placed in a room enriched with historic leather paneling and declares its contemporaneity by recreating an intimate atmosphere typical of the cigar room.
Some of the 125 rooms have been created within areas rich in historical references in which the furniture has been inserted entirely preserving the floors and walls and keeping the original chandeliers.
On the top floor, in order to make the most of the lighting offered by the existing skylights, light wells were created.
The bathrooms are covered in statuary marble, which gives great light to the environment.
Custom-made furnishings and rich, warmly colored fabrics complete the luxurious and welcoming atmosphere of the rooms.
Project: DoubleTree by Hilton Trieste
Architects: CaberlonCaroppi Architetti Associati
Client: Allianz
General Contractor: Tino Sana srl.
Photographer: Roberto Pastrovicchio
