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      Ten rustic Italian interiors that evoke the history of the Mediterranean

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      This lookbook collects 10 interiors in Italy with a distinctly rustic feel, including homes and hotels replete with wooden beams, cool stone and other rich textures.

      As well as being known for its contemporary furniture and lighting design, Italy is home to some of Europe’s oldest buildings and has numerous historic cities and villages.
      From a 17th-century house in Puglia to a hotel in a 1,000-year-old castle, below are 10 examples of projects that pay homage to the Mediterranean country’s history while catering to modern tastes.
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring chequerboard floors, lime plaster walls and Mediterranean-style interiors.
      Photo courtesy of Monteverdi HotelMonteverdi Hotel, Tuscany, by Ilaria Miani

      Restoration specialist and interior designer Ilaria Miani helped transform several crumbling buildings in Val d’Orcia into a boutique hotel that aims to balance the history of the area with contemporary design influences from Milan and Rome.
      In the bedroom suites, chunky exposed beams made from salvaged wood are complemented by natural colours and textures, while nearly all the furniture is handmade by local artisans.
      Find out more about Monteverdi Hotel ›
      Photo by Francesca IoveneCascina, Piemonte, by Jonathan Tuckey Design
      London-based Jonathan Tuckey Design was tasked with returning this 19th-century farmhouse in northern Italy to its original state following a heavy 1980s renovation.
      Stone walls and wooden beams now feature prominently, with a cool chalky palette offset by brass lamps and chestnut panelling and furniture.
      Find out more about Cascina ›
      Photo by Salva LópezCasa Soleto, Puglia, by Studio Andrew Trotter and Marcelo Martínez
      Parts of Casa Soleto in Puglia are more than 400 years old. Architecture firm Studio Andrew Trotter and its studio manager Marcelo Martínez renovated the building without making any structural changes, leaving the irregular walls in place.
      To give the interiors an authentic, natural feel, the designers used lime plaster for the walls, linen fabrics for the sofas and curtains, jute rugs, terracotta ceramics and antique furniture.
      Find out more about Casa Soleto ›
      Photo by Alex FilzMonastero Arx Vivendi, Trentino-Alto Adige, by Network of Architecture
      Network of Architecture applied rippled antique-effect plaster to the walls of this 17th-century ex-monastery near Lake Garda, which is now a hotel.
      The plaster is complemented by pale wooden floors, black iron furniture and earth-toned fabrics, while the original doors have been retained and restored.
      Find out more about Monastero Arx Vivendi ›
      Photo by Salva LópezCasolare Scarani, Puglia, by Studio Andrew Potter
      Casolare Scarani is a home created from the renovation of a long-abandoned girls’ school built in the style of a traditional Puglian villa – but still modest in size.
      The vaulted ceilings were kept intact and covered in lime plaster, while the rooms were finished with earthy tones and traditional stone flooring.
      Find out more about Casolare Scarani ›
      Photo courtesy of Hotel Castello di ReschioHotel Castello di Reschio, Umbria, by Count Benedikt Bolza
      Hotel Castello di Reschio occupies a 1,000-year-old castle in the Umbrian hills that was transformed by count Benedikt Bolza and his family.
      Rooms have been decorated with terracotta-brick or wooden floors, hand-stitched linen curtains, Italian fabrics and locally crafted marble and brass vanities alongside portraits sourced from nearby antique markets in a reference to the building’s rich history.
      Find out more about Hotel Castello di Reschio ›
      Photo by Davide Galli AtelierBrolettouno Apartment, Lombardy, by Archiplan
      Located in a building in Mantua that dates back to the 15th century, this apartment was overhauled on a budget by local design studio Archiplan.
      The studio decided to honour the interior’s timeworn aesthetic by retaining the distressed floor tiles and faded frescos, combining these features with functional light-hued wooden furniture.
      Find out more about Brolettouno Apartment ›
      Photo by Salva LópezCasa Maiora, Puglia, by Studio Andrew Trotter
      Another project from Studio Andrew Trotter, this villa is in fact a newly built project – but carries heavy rustic influences from traditional homes in the area.
      Flagstone floors, lime-washed walls and locally sourced antiques combine to create a soothing, timeless feel.
      Find out more about Casa Maiora ›
      Photo by Serena EllerG-Rough, Lazio, by Gabriele Salini
      Features showcasing the building’s 400-year-old history were juxtaposed with contemporary art and mid-century furnishings at this boutique hotel in Rome, Italy’s capital.
      The imperfections of age, particularly on the patina walls, combine with furniture inspired by modernist Italian designers like Ico Parisi, Giò Ponti and Piero Fornasetti for a rough-yet-refined aesthetic.
      Find out more about G-Rough ›
      Photo by Irina Boersma César MachadoPalazzo Monti hotel, Lombardy, by Julie Cloos Mølsgaard and Vipp
      A collaboration with Danish homeware brand Vipp saw interior designer Julie Cloos Mølsgaard create a pop-up hotel in a 13-century palazzo in Brescia.
      To keep the focus on the building’s many historic features, Mølsgaard took a minimalist approach to the furnishings, with mattresses sitting directly on the floor and artwork propped up against the walls.
      Find out more about the Palazzo Monti hotel ›
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring chequerboard floors, lime plaster walls and Mediterranean-style interiors.

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      The Hoxton Charlottenburg draws on Berlin’s brutalist and art nouveau architecture

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      The Hoxton hotel has opened its first German outpost in Berlin’s Charlottenburg, with interiors designed to blend the contrasting architectural styles that rub shoulders in the affluent neighbourhood.

      Located just off the Kurfürstendamm shopping street in West Berlin, the 234-room hotel was styled on a cross between the area’s Jugendstil mansion blocks and the comparatively rugged concrete buildings of the brutalist era.
      The Hoxton has opened a hotel in BerlinThe result is an aesthetic concept that the company’s in-house design team AIME Studios has dubbed “rough nouveau”.
      “By drawing inspiration from the surrounding area and celebrating the contrasting styles, we were looking to create a unique interpretation of this corner of the city, which will be recognisable to locals and let visitors get a sense of the area,” AIME Studios design associate Charlie Cruickshank told Dezeen.
      Vintage mid-century furniture features in the lobbyBrutalist influences can be seen in the oversized concrete columns that run through The Hoxton’s lobby, which is finished in a textured plaster to match.

      This provides a rough backdrop for more elaborate decorative touches, ranging from mosaic flooring to bespoke Murano glass chandeliers with botanical-inspired forms that draw on the art nouveau ironwork and tiling found in the surrounding buildings.
      Patterned tiles were used to decorate some of the joinery”One of the features we noticed many times while walking around Charlottenburg were the tiled doorways with elaborate designs,” Cruickshank said.
      “Tiles are used in many decorative and creative ways throughout the area and they are also integrated into some of our joinery pieces.”
      The lobby is defined by an airy blue and green colour paletteAt the back of the blue- and green-toned lobby with its vintage mid-century furniture sits the Winter Garden bar, finished with patterned mosaic tiles to create a conservatory-meets-courtyard atmosphere.
      Here, a Delft-inspired tiled fireplace nods to traditional Swedish stoves while fostering a cosy atmosphere during Berlin’s frosty winters.
      “The references to the beautiful tiles in the local area were emphasised wherever possible, and the finely painted botanical designs echo classic art nouveau motifs,” Cruickshank said.
      The Winter Garden bar features mosaic flooring and a tiled fireplaceAlso on the ground floor are the House of Tandoor restaurant and the Teahouse cafe and bar, both designed to fuse the elegant Charlottenburg aesthetic with Indian influences, taking design cues from the grand palaces of Kolkata and Mumbai in the 1920s.
      In the cafe, shell-patterned mosaic tiles pick up the subtle green hues in the bar’s marble countertop while oversized windows flood the space with light.
      “The show-stopping scalloped marble floor tiles feature colours inspired by Indian spices and herbs that are used for the cocktail menu,” said Cruickshank.
      A curved bar with a scalloped countertop features in the Teahouse cafeIn the next-door restaurant, an open-plan copper-and-wood kitchen takes centre stage alongside richly upholstered banquettes.
      Framed vinyl covers and vintage-style gramophones reference India’s jazz era, representing the fusion of Indian and Western cultures.

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      “The concept for the restaurant is to emulate the vibrant colour palette of the spices and textiles found in the markets of Mumbai as well as the quirky curiosities often found within the markets, such as gramophones,” said Cruickshank.
      “This also has a nod to the theatricality of the 1920s Weimar era and the cultural importance of jazz during this time.”
      The House of Tandoor restaurant serves modern Indian fareThe “rough nouveau” concept continues in the 234 bedrooms, where a restrained take on the whiplash curves of art nouveau can be seen in features such as the headboards while the lighting brings a raw, unpolished element to each room.
      A muted colour palette of soft pinks and greens provides a sense of warmth that is amplified by the vintage furniture, herringbone flooring and patterned rugs.
      The hotel has 234 guest roomsBuilding on the hotel’s links to its locale are the illuminated room numbers.
      “Illuminated house and apartment number signs are a quintessential feature you see all over West Berlin,” Cruickshank said. “Using these signs references this distinctive design marker of the neighbourhood.”
      A curved headboard nods to the swirling lines of art nouveauA top-floor party and event space, The Apartment, includes three flexible private rooms arranged around a central kitchen.
      The Apartment’s aesthetic was informed by the life and work of Mary Wigman, a German dancer and choreographer who pioneered expressionist dance and lived in West Berlin in the early 20th century.
      The Apartment offers a space for hosting private parties and events”We imagined the space to be like a 1920s apartment looking out over the vibrant city with art nouveau influences in the floral and botanical wallpapers and the soft pastel colour palette,” Cruickshank said.
      “The location of The Apartment on the top floor of the hotel adds to the residential feel of the space.”
      The space features homey furnishings reminiscent of an apartmentThe Hoxton’s other outposts include a hotel informed by the work of Spanish architect Ricardo Bofill in Barcelona and one housed in Chicago’s old meatpacking area.
      The photography is courtesy of The Hoxton.

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      Dorothée Meilichzon nods to Alice in Wonderland for Cotswolds hotel interior

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      French interior designer Dorothée Meilichzon has created the interior for boutique hotel Cowley Manor Experimental, adding chequerboard details and hidden keyholes to the rooms of the former country house.

      Meilichzon drew on the history of the Cowley Manor Experimental, which is said to have inspired author Lewis Carroll to write Alice in Wonderland, when designing the interior for the hotel.
      According to the hotel, Caroll was walking in the gardens of the then Cowley Manor with Alice Liddell – for whom he wrote Alice in Wonderland – when he saw a rabbit disappear down a hole under a hedge.
      Nodding to the chessboard around which the classic story is constructed, Meilichzon designed bespoke chequerboard carpets that were produced by Hartley & Tissier.
      The designer added baldachin beds and colourful accents to the bedroom suites”Alice is subtly spread all over the place,” the designer told Dezeen.

      “Small doors are hidden in the rooms for the White Rabbit, there are hidden keyholes, rabbit ears, hearts and spades on the checkerboard carpet,” she explained.
      “We have used the checkerboard in many ways: hand-painted, tiled, on fabrics and wallpaper.”
      Touches of rattan, mixed with strong colour, glossy lacquer and lava stone feature throughout the 36-room hotel. Large bedroom suites have baldachin beds and interiors accented with blurred maple and verdigris.
      The games room features chequerboard rugsThe project, which Meilichzon designed for Experimental Group, saw her update an existing hotel at the site, which sits within 55 acres of Cotswolds countryside. The hotel also incorporates a spa, restaurant, cocktail bar, lounge, library and living rooms.
      Other than respecting the heritage-listed elements of the property, Meilichzon had full design freedom.
      Heritage-listed elements of the existing Cowley Manor were preserved”Historical buildings are something we are used to; we work a lot in Europe and often in very old buildings,” the designer said.
      “So we always try to respect them and start from there: the shape of the space, an architectural detail, a listed element.”

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      Meilichzon combined classical and contemporary elements, keeping all historical listed elements from the building, such as doors, wooden panels and windows.
      However, she added “some modernity through the furniture, the geometric patterns and colours,” she said.
      Hearts derived from the Queen of Hearts in Alice in Wonderland are worked into the stair carpet”Colour is everything, I am really not a grey and beige person,” explained Meilichzon.
      The hotel also features a restaurant and cocktail bar by chef Jackson Boxer that is focused on Cowley Manor’s kitchen garden, which has increased in size and is growing wider varieties of produce. The cocktail bar features a lacquered blue bar and tables.
      The bar has blurred walnut panelling and blue lacquered tablesMeilichzon, founder of Paris-based design agency Chzon, is a frequent collaborator of Experimental Group and has designed the interiors for several of its properties.
      “I see my work for Experimental Group as separate pieces but with a common DNA – the same hand. Because they are context-based, a hotel in Menorca cannot look the same as one in Venice or in the Cotswolds,” she said.
      Earlier this year, she gave a bohemian refresh to Ibiza’s first hotel, now called the Montesol Experimental, and has also renovated a Belle Epoque-era hotel in Biarritz, France.
      The photography is by Mr Tripper.

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      Anacapa Architecture converts historic building into Drift Santa Barbara hotel

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      US studio Anacapa Architecture has transformed an early 1900s, stucco-clad building that was formerly closed off to the public into a welcoming hotel filled with compact rooms and handcrafted decor.

      Located in the heart of downtown Santa Barbara in central California, the 45-key hotel is the second outpost from Drift, with the first located in San José del Cabo, Mexico.
      Anacapa Architecture has renovated an early 1900s building to create the Drift HotelThe hotel occupies a three-storey, Italian Mediterranean-style building that totals 15,617 square feet (1,451 square metres).
      Guest rooms are spread across all three levels, and a penthouse suite is found on the top floor. The ground level contains a coffee shop and a bar.
      It is located in a three-storey, Italian Mediterranean-style buildingWhile the building’s original architect is unknown, the firm Soule, Murphy & Hastings performed a renovation following a 1925 earthquake. The building has served various uses over time.

      “One of the only downtown survivors of the 1925 Santa Barbara earthquake, the building has stood for well over 100 years and has had many lives,” said local firm Anacapa Architecture.
      Guestrooms and a penthouse occupy the top floors, while a coffee shop and bar are located on the ground levelA hotel operated in the building from 1901 to the 1980s. More recently, it served as a home for the Church of Scientology, which took over in the 1990s and kept the building closed off from the community.
      Making the building more welcoming and honouring its original character were key concerns for the design team. The project was envisioned as a “modern reincarnation” of the hotel that once operated on the site.
      The building’s original arched windows, stucco walls and terracotta roof were kept intact”As part of a restoration, the challenge was to work within the historic context while creating experiences that are appealing to the modern traveler,” the team said.
      The exterior facades, featuring white stucco and arched windows, were kept largely intact. The building’s terracotta tile roof was retained, as well.
      The hallways are darkly clad and feature wooden crossbeamsOn the ground level, the team added folding glass doors on the front wall, which faces a pedestrian promenade. Behind the doors are the coffeeshop and a bar, called Dawn and Dusk, respectively.
      The large openings draw in passersby and help reconnect the building to the neighbourhood.

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      “Space for both locals and travelers is accommodated, returning the building to its roots as a true hospitality venue,” the team said.
      While the exterior has a historic look, the interior is much more modern.
      Local goods from California and Mexican makers were used throughout the designThe team incorporated materials such as concrete and wood. The hotel brand’s Mexican property inspired much of the contemporary furnishings and decor.
      “The hotel is dressed with goods from Californian and Mexican makers, paying homage to the brand’s Baja roots while celebrating its coastal Californian locale,” the team said.
      Soft beige and greys were used throughout the projectThe guest rooms, which range from 145 to 165 square feet (13 to 15 square metres), are compact in comparison to average hotel rooms in the area. Creative solutions, such as under-bed storage, help maximize space.
      Overall, the project has revitalized a building that has long been a fixture in downtown Santa Barbara.
      The building was once closed to the public”The team brought modern life to a building inaccessible to most of the community for so long, bringing a breath of fresh air to downtown, and catering to all,” the team said.
      Anacapa Architecture has offices in Santa Barbara and Portland, Oregon. Additional work by the studio includes a minimalist residence for a California entrepreneur and a glamping resort in Sonoma County that features customised tents and Airstream trailers.
      The photography is by Erin Feinblatt.
      Project credits:
      Architecture and interior Design: ANACAPA ArchitectureContractor: Parton + Edwards ConstructionCivil and structural engineering: Ashley VanceMEP engineering: Consulting WestKitchen, bar, and coffee shop consultant: New School

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      Beata Heuman designs colour-drenched Hôtel de la Boétie in Paris

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      Saturated greens and blues contrast pale pink sheets and playful flower details at Hôtel de la Boétie in Paris, which Swedish designer Beata Heuman created to be “a bit like a stage set”.

      Set in a 19th-century building, the 40-room hotel in Paris’ 8th arrondissement was designed with Heuman’s signature colourful interior style.
      Beata Heuman’s Dodo Egg Light hangs in a lounge area at Hôtel de la BoétieWhile it was a renovation of an existing hotel, the designer was able to make large changes to the interior as the building had been altered numerous times since it was completed.
      “The building didn’t have any original features left and has been re-configured over the years,” Heuman told Dezeen. “We spun off the simplicity of the bones that were there, working with strong, simple ideas.”
      The hotel’s reception area has a warm red colourGuests are met by a reception room with a vibrant, bright-red nook for the front-of-house staff and two lamps designed like winding red-and-yellow flowers. A dark-blue leather seat complements the room.

      Next to the reception area, Heuman created an all-silver lounge that was designed to have a theatrical feel and is brightened by an orange velvet sofa and a forest-green coffee table.
      Guests can relax in a silver lounge areaThe colour palette was very deliberately chosen by Heuman, who thought about the wider impact it would have on the space.
      “It’s about contrast and balance,” the designer said. “When you work with rich colours my instinct is to off-set that using simpler materials around it to complement and enhance.”
      Woven headboards create striking centrepieces in the bedroomsThe bedrooms have a saturated colour scheme, with lower-level floors that feature dark blue walls, which change to shades of brown on the ascending floors.
      The two top levels have pale, airy blue hues, with classic French cast-iron balconies providing views of central Paris from the top floor.
      A grassy green carpet was used throughout the hotel to create a vibrant contrast to the blue and brown hues.
      The bathrooms feature pale pastel coloursSome bedrooms have been decorated with oversized headboards that were woven as rugs and then upholstered, creating an unusual and eye-catching centrepiece.
      These were informed by the inlaid marble floor of the Medici Chapel in Florence and sit above the solid-ash beds, which have been made with pale-pink satin sheets that add to the vibrant feel of the room.
      In the bathrooms, Heuman used pale blue and green pastel hues juxtaposed with pink towels to give the rooms a luxurious retro feel, while checkerboard-patterned tiles in yellow and green add a fun touch.
      bedrooms on the lower levels have dark-blue wallsThe designer also used her own products to decorate the hotel, including her Dodo Egg Light – an egg-shaped light with green fittings designed to resemble planet leaves.
      This decorates one of the ground floor lounge areas, which also features posters for art exhibitions by artists Pablo Picasso and Paul Klee.

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      The designer used mainly natural materials for the hotel, including wood and brass.
      “The solid ash furniture used in all the rooms have a humble quality which anchors the more theatrical elements of the schemes such as the headboards, ensuring the expression stays true to the nature of the building,” she said.
      Heuman aimed to use natural materials throughout the spaceHeuman also created the branding for the hotel, which was made for French hotel group Touriste.
      “A hotel is about having an experience for a day or two, which means that we have been able to explore a concept and a mood to a greater extent,” Heuman said.
      “We can treat it a bit like a stage set, which is not the approach I would take when it comes to someone’s home.”
      Flower lamps decorate the reception areaThe project fulfilled a long-time dream for the designer, who had previously never designed a hotel and works more on private home interiors.
      “I’ve been wanting to do a hotel for ages and it has been a fantastic experience,” Heuman said.  “I am drawn to the theatrical, although that is often not appropriate for a residential setting.”
      “A hotel is an experience for a few nights, therefore you can exaggerate and do more of a ‘look’,” she added. “In a residential project the design is centred around the personal preferences of an individual client.”
      Previous hotels by Touriste include Hotel Les Deux Gares in Paris, which has an interior that was created by British designer Luke Edward Hall. Also in Paris, local studio Uchronia created a colourful Haussmann-era apartment as a “chromatic jewellery box”.
      The photography is by Simon Brown.

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      Renovated Ibizan finca retains rustic charm as Aguamadera hotel

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      A 19th-century farmhouse hidden away in the mountains of Ibiza has been converted into a hotel, where guests stay inside earthy, minimalist suites with interiors conceived by creative director Carlota Sarda Caralps.

      The remote Aguamadera resort opened earlier this year and was designed as “a secluded hideaway home” with a focus on nature, wellness and food.
      A 19th-century farmhouse has been converted into a boutique hotelThe brainchild of Pacha Group co-founder Iria Urgell and hospitality entrepreneur Pablo Fernández-Valdés, the hotel was designed under the creative direction of Sarda Caralps.
      Positioned atop a hill near the beach resort of Cala Llonga, the finca – or farmhouse – and its outbuildings constructed in 1888 were converted to accommodate seven guest rooms and four suites.
      The pink flowers of a large bougainvillea tree contrast the whitewashed buildingThe renovated whitewashed structures sit among 27 acres of pine forests, olive groves and terraced agricultural land, from which much of the produce used in the hotel’s restaurant is sourced.

      The name Aguamadera is derived from the Spanish words for water and wood, in a nod to the fact that the hotel hopes to promote healing through nature in its rural setting.
      A covered porch features built-in seating for loungingThis translates into the design through the use of natural materials like clay plaster walls, wooden furniture, linen textiles and jute carpets.
      Simplicity reigns throughout the resort. The textured plasterwork forms organically shaped surfaces and the cement floors complement the neutral palette.
      Small pendant lights hang from the exposed ceiling beams in the casual dining areaThe main building is minimally decorated with locally crafted furniture, objects and a rotating series of works by Ibizan artists.
      “Our venue serves as a vessel between artists and guests,” said the operators.
      “Aguamadera presents pieces of art for a limited time only where paintings, sculptures, environmental art and rare objects are integrated within the hotel experience.”
      Furniture, objects and works by local artists and artisans are displayed throughoutTowards the back is the restaurant, where the kitchen and its wood-fired oven are completely open to the casual dining area.
      Small pendant lights suspended from the exposed wooden ceiling beams softly illuminate the tables, which are set with tableware by British artisan and artist Sarah Jerath.
      The old farmhouse accommodates seven guest rooms”Cosy, easy-going and fresh, the space allows you to explore the valley from within with sunset views,” the team said.
      “In the essence of the winter season, a colossal fireplace evokes nostalgic charm.”
      The rooms have a monastic quality and are furnished with only the essentialsSpread over two floors, the guest rooms in the farmhouse have a monastic quality, with the earth-toned furnishings and decor elements reduced to only what’s necessary.
      Larger multi-room suites are located in corrals – the outbuildings that formerly housed livestock – and have the same visual language as the other spaces.
      Cushioned loungers surround the swimming pool, which overlooks the valley beyond”Rustic wood finishes, built-in furniture, quality materials and soft textures are highlighted through sculptural silhouettes, the cornerstone of our design,” said the team.
      Across the site, several terraces facing the surrounding valleys offer outdoor spaces for guests to eat, drink and relax.

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      A covered porch is lined with built-in seats for lounging and is further shaded by a bougainvillaea tree, whose pink flowers starkly contrast the building’s white walls.
      The pool terrace below features chunky cushioned loungers placed on terracotta tiles and is wrapped by a low dry-stone wall.
      The hotel’s larger suites are housed in the outbuildings formerly used for livestockSunset is best enjoyed from cushions and mats placed under a huge tree on the opposite side of the building to the pool, where a large al fresco dining area is also located.
      Details include hollow bricks with patterned faces embedded into the walls, which glow softly at night to help guests navigate around the site.
      The suites have their own outdoor areasAguamadera hosts a variety of activities for guests and the local community, from exhibitions and workshops to wellness offerings such as sound meditations, rituals and ceremonies.
      Ibiza is renowned the world over as a party destination but visitors are beginning to appreciate its natural beauty and rural charm, too.
      Multiple terraces wrapped by dry-stone walls can be used by guestsSeveral of the island’s old farmhouses have been converted into hotels or private villas, including a 200-year-old stone building that was turned into the members-only retreat La Granja.
      The historic port city of Eivissa has also seen a recent renaissance, with locations from international groups The Standard and Experimental both opening within the past couple of years.
      The photography is by Lekuona Studio. The main image is by Mateo Sánchez Garcia De La Cruz.

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      RooMoo integrates local materials and traditions into Som Land Hostel near Shanghai

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      Thatched roofs, recycled bricks and bundles of sticks were used to construct this hostel on Shanghai’s Chongming Island, which Chinese studio RooMoo has organised around two existing buildings.

      The site is surrounded by water and forests, creating a secluded rural environment on the island that’s located across the Yangtze River estuary from the vast metropolitan area.
      RooMoo completely transformed two existing buildings using materials found on-siteThe Som Land hostel was designed to integrate with this natural landscape and respect the local customs and traditions.
      “The resort’s name Som Land comes from the traditional Chinese colour, the warm green between the mottled gaps in the tree shadows, representing a state of relaxation and slow-paced life,” said Shanghai-based RooMoo.
      “In terms of overall space arrangement and planning, Som Land focuses on nature and humanistic traditions.”

      The buildings are clad using recycled bricks in a pattern based on a local clothThe architects revived two old houses on the site, manipulating their existing forms and layouts to meet the new requirements while adhering to planning restrictions.
      The larger two-storey structure that acts as the accommodation block was overhauled and extended to include an additional floor – now totalling 552 square metres.
      In the larger of the two buildings, the staircase was moved to the north side”Because the original building has problems, it is necessary to adjust the old and inappropriate space layout and add new design strategies to provide reconstruction to match the new requirements,” said RooMoo.
      While its perimeter footprint remained the same, the building was transformed both internally and externally.
      The rooms are decorated with neutral tones and natural materialsPlanning codes limited the height of the eaves. So to provide extra space, RooMoo steepened the pitch of the roof so that the extra storey could tuck inside.
      Large dormer windows create even more space on this upper floor, while balconies were added to the lower levels to extend these, too.
      Wood furniture and woven textiles connect the interiors to the rural settingThe staircase was also relocated to the north of the building, allowing three guest rooms per floor to fan around the glass-topped circulation core.
      Each room has its own bathroom facilities, and some suites include a bathtub that overlooks the balcony and the forest beyond.

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      Neutral tones and natural materials decorate the interiors, which feature wooden bed frames, tables and chairs, plus woven textiles and lighting.
      Tree branches gathered from the site are framed into panels that cover parts of the ceilings in both the rooms and corridors, while bamboo poles partition the staircase flights.
      The second building was extended on the west side with a glazed addition”The guests staying can feel the space environment of non-machine standardised production, so most of our material selection is from nature and the local site,” said RooMoo.
      The second single-storey building that was originally a tool shed was also completely rethought, becoming a reception and communal space where crumbling walls and a tiled roof once stood.
      This building is used as the reception and a communal space for guestsAs with the larger structure, the roof pitch was increased to its maximum allowed height and its boundary was also pushed outward.
      The top of its gabled form was cut off and the flat plane turned into a window to allow plenty of natural light into the interior.
      A central brick fireplace divides the open spaceOn the west side, a wood-framed glass addition is extruded from the building’s profile to face the water.
      Inside, thin strips of wood swoop down and curve outward from the skylight, helping to distribute the light.
      A variety of local products are displayed in the reception buildingA curvaceous brick fireplace and chimney stack are positioned in the centre of the open room to separate the reception area from a lounge and dining space.
      Both buildings were re-clad in bricks recycled from the original structures, in a pattern based on local cloth that casts shadows across the facades.
      Strips of wood curve from the ceiling to funnel in sun from the skylightThatched roofs were also added as a nod to the region’s historic building traditions. “In our practice, we tried to recall the traditional way of manual binding to build a roof of reed poles,” said RooMoo.
      “Therefore, we hope to bring out the first impression of the sustainable concept and practice of earth materials returning to nature,” the studio added.
      “The design treatment is to provide hotel guests with a warm and relaxing vacation with a deeper understanding of the local style of the environment.”
      The top of the gabled roof is cut off and covered in glassSom Land is longlisted in the hotel and short-stay interior category for the 2023 Dezeen Awards, becoming the latest hostel in China to receive recognition from the program.
      Previously, the Capsule hostel and bookstore by Atelier Tao+C in a small rural village was named interiors project of the year at the 2020 Dezeen Awards.
      The photography is by Wen Studio.
      Project credits:
      Design team: RooMooConstruction: Shanghai Guixiang Decoration EngineeringLighting consultant: Shanghai Yiqu Laite Lighting Industry

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      in Rooms

      Productora and Esrawe Studio outfit Mexico hotel with planes of green tile

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      Local architecture studios Productora and Esrawe Studio have outfitted a Mexico hotel with planes of green tile suspended from the lobby ceiling.

      Located on a hilly site in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, the Albor Hotel is part of Hilton’s Tapestry Collection.
      Productora and Esrawe Studio have wrapped a hotel in Mexico with local red stoneCompleted in 2022, the 6,038 square metre project contains a lobby, restaurant, bar, gym, multipurpose room, and a pool area with a grill.
      Productora and Esrawe Studio pulled from the mountainous surroundings for the design.
      The stone is carried into the building’s lobby and lower levels”The hotel emerges naturally from the terrain, framing a beautiful view of the valley,” said the team.

      “The hotel’s stone base is inspired by the mountain’s interior, featuring a textured and colourful appearance.”
      Planes of green tile are suspended from the ceilingA natural red, textured stone was wrapped around the building’s first two levels, which steps up the hill on the site.
      The top three levels contain the hotel’s private rooms and have an exterior clad in a simple white material, which contrasts the base.
      The tile features a graphic pattern by artist Omar BarquetThe lower levels, which contain the lobby, restaurant, bar and garden, run perpendicular to the site’s cobble-stone street, while the upper-floor volume runs parallel.
      Guests enter into the hotel’s spacious lobby, where the same red stone was carried onto the floors, walls and bar elements.
      The hotel contains a multi-leveled terrace and restaurantThe lobby’s double-height space is divided by planes of sea-foam green ceramic tile, which feature a leaf-like pattern by Mexican artist Omar Barquet.
      Crafted by tile manufacturer Latitude, they cover dividing walls, ceiling planes and panels that are suspended from the ceiling.

      Productora designs Casa Bautista on beach in Tulum nature preserve

      The space is outfitted with wide, blocky wooden tables and chairs by Roberto González. Wood was also used for a large bookshelf that spans the length of the interior lobby.
      A mixture of gray, green and red cushions were used to cover the seating, with the same red tone used to frame a series of sliding glass doors that lead onto the hotel’s sprawling patio.
      A natural red tone was carried throughout the hotel’s lower and upper levelsRectangular volumes cantilever over the back patio, reflecting the same rectangular panels used to divide the lobby.
      The patio sprawls across several levels, with large square planting beds installed with cacti and other local plants by PLANTA Botanical Design.
      The hotel’s private rooms were kept minimalist, with the same wooden furniture echoed in seating areas, cabinetry and a bed frame.
      “The rooms feature a natural colour palette and materials such as mineral clay, local crafts, wooden furniture and natural fabrics, providing a cosy and inviting atmosphere for guests,” said the team. 
      An earthen red tone was also carried into the private bathrooms.
      Productora recently completed a bright blue co-housing complex in Denver, Colorado, while Esrawe Studio renovated an apartment in Mexico City with an oak “skin”.
      The photography is by César Béjar.

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