Heart Hotel

The Heart Hotel stands on Piazzale Principessa Clotilde, between Piazza della Repubblica and Piazza Gae Aulenti, one of the most authentic, strategic parts of Milan, where 20thC buildings happily associate with the newest high-rises in the ongoing architectural stratification that is constantly adding to the city’s appeal. SA Architecture, commissioned to renovate the previous old hotel, was presented with a floor area of 2000 m2 in which it created 52 en suite rooms on the three upper floors, as well as completely transforming the foyer and communal spaces. The facade, its style and colours matching those of the neighbouring buildings, gives no hint of the contemporary design of the interiors, which embrace the most modern mood of lights and colours with carefully calculated architectural layouts and well judged choice of materials.

The large foyer, which also incorporates the coffee shop, is dominated by the dark shades and horizontal form of the only furnishing feature, the large reception table. Leading from it there is still the old staircase, highlighted by the dark blue colour and very glossy finish of the Crogiolo Lume porcelain stoneware brick tiles: with their intentional flaws and distinctive 6x24 cm size, they gleam and glint with light even in the deep Black colour.   

“The rooms,” the architects explain, “are designed as plain boxes on an open plan basis with no structural partitions between the bathroom and sleeping area, while the furnishings and the Marazzi materials, in both small size and large slabs, create stylistic subdivisions that give rhythm to the spaces.” Here the degree of personalisation is extreme, in shades of white, grey and green, with aesthetic continuity provided by the use as floor covering of the Treverkfusion Neutral wood-effect collection in 10x70 cm size.

In all the rooms, the use of the Marazzi porcelain stoneware collections is not only dominant but also, and above all, a feature of amazing versatility. The Grande Marble Look collection slabs – in Imperiale, Golden White, Grigio Carnico and Verde Aver variants, 120x120 cm size – together with the Allmarble collection – in the 75x75 cm size in elegant Golden White and Imperiale – reproduce the veining of the most exquisite Italian marbles with a level of realism that almost exceeds the original and are used not only to cover countertops and shower enclosures but above all to define spaces or to create unusual furnishing elements such as screens and open wardrobes.


Ph Andrea Martiradonna