Rome has no shortage of hotels, but Casa Monti operates on its own frequency. Boutique at 36 keys and quietly beautiful, it has earned a reputation as a creative hideaway. Its latest move is characteristically well-judged: a six-month residency with artist Michael McGregor, running until 15 October 2026, during which he has transformed one of the hotel’s suites into a liveable artwork, bringing his fine art sensibility to bear on the intimacy of a hospitality space.

The Art Suite at Casa Monti, Rome

Over the past decade, McGregor has lived and worked across Mexico City, Los Angeles, Paris, London, Greece and Italy, and now calls Athens home. A habitual traveller and frequenter of hotels, he has, since 2016, developed a practice of drawing on hotel stationery – a ritual that has since evolved into his visual signature: an expressive, instinctive language that blends impressionism with fauvism, playing on the tension between formal logotypes and loose, pastel-pencil gestures.

It is this itinerant practice, and his intimate familiarity with hotels as spaces of both transit and inspiration, that made McGregor a natural fit for Casa Monti. In his Roman residency, custom wall panels anchor the suite, while the artist’s exclusively designed patterns extend across upholstery and decorative elements. Drawings and paintings unfold across paper and textiles, woven into the fabric of the room: a bespoke backgammon set, for example, is adorned with his signature motifs, while personal art books and carefully placed objects lend the space an air of pleasing informality – as though the artist’s stationery sketches simply took on a life of their own, and the guest has stepped into McGregor’s private universe.

Debuting within the suite is ‘Roma Amor’, a new collection of drawings and sketches the artist created during a stay at the hotel in 2025, reflecting on visits to Centrale Montemartini, Villa Medici and Palazzo Venezia.

‘Casa Monti offers a rare opportunity to work beyond the walls of galleries and studios,’ says McGregor. ‘My aim is to craft moments of discovery through small gestures, playful details and subtle interventions that spark curiosity and invite personal engagement.’

The suite speaks to Casa Monti’s talent for creating spaces that feel curated yet uncontrived, and to McGregor’s ability to find meaning in the marginal and incidental. For those who find themselves in Rome between now and October, you know where to find the hottest room in the city.

The Art Suite is available to book now, with rates starting from €1,200 per night based on double occupancy with breakfast included. Casa Monti is located at Via Panisperna, 210/212, 00184 Rome, Italy

What have the Romans ever done for us? Apart from the sanitation, medicine, education and wine, April saw the Eternal City organise its first classic car concours since 1960. Back then, the Jaguar E-Type, James Bond’s iconic Aston Martin DB5 and Lamborghini’s exquisite Miura had yet to even go on sale. Rome was home to the 1960 Summer Olympics and the hub of La Dolce Vita, with a flourishing culture of style and luxury.

Why it took so long to bring a glamourous car show back to the Italian capital is something of a mystery. Matters weren’t helped last year when, with guests arriving and many car entries already in situ, the inaugural Anantara Concorso Roma was postponed out of respect for the passing of Pope Francis.

‘There is a unique atmosphere in Rome and an incredible history of car racing and concours,’ said Anantara hotels chairman, William Heinecke. ‘So, when we set out to establish a new event, the Eternal City was the obvious choice. Although there was massive disappointment over the postponement of the inaugural event, everybody was hugely supportive of the decision we had to make.’

Salon Privé, Pebble Beach, Chantilly Arts & Elegance… If you think there are already too many concours for lovely motor cars with a six-figure price tag, the success of this latest event in Rome would suggest otherwise. Forget a well-polished MGB GT or Triumph Stag, this breathtaking line-up of automotive exotica was a carefully curated list of 70 exclusive classics from some of the world’s most prestigious collections.

And for this first event, all entries across the 16 classes were home-grown, Italian masterpieces from pre-war legends to modern icons. As they were initially displayed outside the curved frontage of Anantara Palazzo Naiadi hotel, Rome traffic quickly ground to a standstill.

A landmark Neoclassical building set on the ruins of the famous Diocletian thermal baths – still visible through the glass floor at basement level – the hotel has long been an important meeting place.

Gathering in the spring sunshine for the concorso were some of Italy’s most revered cars. Among them, a 1938 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B, a winner at this year’s Peninsula Classics ‘Best of Best’ in Paris, a stand-out line-up of Lancia Aurelia convertibles, plus a more modern Bugatti EB 110 GT (a French marque of course, but this particular model was built in Italy).

With judges including former FIA president and Ferrari CEO Jean Todt, and Pininfarina designer Lorenzo Ramaciotti, the panel of experts assessing the cars was top tier, as was a lengthy sponsor list, featuring brands such as Richard Mille, Gulfstream and RM Sotheby’s.

After some considerable debate in the Italian sunshine, the winning car was a Maserati V4 Sport Zagato, blessed with a 16-cylinder, 4.0-litre engine and first sold in Rome in 1932. Now owned by American collector Lawrence Auriana, the green two-seater was making its first visit to the Italian capital in over 90 years, making it a worthy winner of the inaugural event.

Anantara Concorso Roma, AnantaraConcorsoRoma.com, @AnantaraConcorsoRoma

In the heart of the Eternal City, a Rome residence dating back to the early 20th century has been transformed into a beacon of contemporary luxury following a £9m restoration.

The home, which was bought for £20m in 2023, has been reimagined for the future by Italian architectural firm Prima Design di James Cavagnari. The practice, along with the project’s art director Raffaella Vincenzi, harnessed the work of artisans from Florence, Tuscany and Rome to create a space that combines the quiet extravagance of modern design with the gravitas of historic Roman architecture.

Step inside this redesigned Rome residence

A potent mixture of architectural ambition and bespoke craftsmanship set over 13,000 sq ft and 8,500 sq ft of terraces, the property is a celebration of individuality. Following an 18-month refurbishment and restoration, it now boasts a six-metre library, a one-of-a-kind vivarium, bespoke sculptural hand-carved wine displays and a plethora of specifically commissioned furnishings, artworks and lighting choices, including a striking, custom-made chandelier that hangs in the residence’s circular vestibule – an arresting focal point in an already dramatic double-height space.

As for the finer details, everything from the joinery to the upholstery and the plasterwork is a nod to Italian artisanship. In the principal bathroom, which took six months to complete, hand-embellished walls are the star of the show. These one-off, textured pebble mosaics signal a fresh approach to style and design never been seen before in Prima Design’s work. Other bespoke flourishes including Indonesian wooden doors sourced from Bali and trunk-inspired cabinetry are peppered throughout the space mixing heritage luxury with bold modernity.

It is, says Prima Design’s founder James Cavagnari – a renowned British-Italian designer who set up the practice in 1995 – a daring example of 'contemporary residential creativity'.

'Intervening in a historic building in the centre of Rome meant engaging with layers of history that needed to be understood,' he adds. 'There was no intention to stage a dialogue between the past and present; instead, the aim was to let them coexist naturally, without forced tension. The choice of natural materials – wood, stone, burnished metals – stems from this approach: building continuity rather than rupture.

'In a city like Rome, where cultural richness is already embedded in the urban fabric, contemporary luxury lies in the quality of experience rather than in ostentation. It manifests in the precision of details, in the tactility of surfaces, in the quality of artificial light and in the fluidity of circulation. It is something that is perceived before it is seen. It is a conscious balance between memory and innovation, craftsmanship and technology – but above all, it is freedom: the freedom to create a space that genuinely reflects those who inhabit it, without the need to prove anything.'

primadesign.it

On the west bank of the Tiber River in Rome, the independent art project Villa Lontana introduces a secondary exhibition space designed by local architecture practice Studio Strato. Inaugurating the site and continuing the project’s ethos of marrying ancient and contemporary creative practices is an eldritch installation that doubles as a working bar, by British artists Clementine Keith-Roach and Christopher Page.

Bar Far at Villa Lontana, Rome

Bar Far – which nods to Villa Lontana’s name, meaning ‘Faraway Villa’ in Italian – resembles a whimsical cloister of sorts, inspired by bygone art bars that provided refuge for creativity and connection during times of political upheaval, such as Cabaret Voltaire in Zurich (the birthplace of the Dada movement) and Caffè Greco in Rome (a favourite of Italian metaphysical artist Giorgio de Chirico).

Keith-Roach, a sculptor of ‘new ruins’, and Page, a painter of light, shadow and reflection, sought the feel of a hallucinatory Gesamtkunstwerk, layered with visual cues referencing the lavishness of the Baroque. It is the result of an ongoing collaboration on a series of artworks and installations that ponder the possibility of new life emerging from the ruins of a previous one. Both artists use trompe l’œil trickery to deceive and delight, creating a dreamlike atmosphere in which guests become part of the installation itself.

Infrastructural caryatids and plaster-cast body parts emerge from chalky walls and combine with utilitarian, industrial materials such as brick, pipe and timber: legs hold wall-mounted tables, arms extend benches, hands cradle candles. Meanwhile, a sequence of tall, softly rounded arches is cut into pale walls, each niche glowing from within in gradations of ember, rust and molten red – as if the architecture has been hollowed out to reveal a living core.

‘Bar Far offers a playful space to talk and drink amidst paradoxes and contradictions, a metaphysical space in which, who knows, we might find answers at the bottom of a glass,’ says curator Vittoria Bonifati.

Bar Far is on view until 14 March 2026. A programme of live performance will take place throughout the exhibition; further details and updates can be found on Villa Lontana’s website. It is located at Via Garibaldi 68-69, 00153 Rome, Italy

There has always been something undeniably seductive about long-distance train travel: the promise of adventure in far-off lands, and a pace slow enough to contemplate what you might find when you get there. Yet few trains conjure up glamour and intrigue quite like the Orient Express, which has been transporting travellers in style since 1883. The Accor-owned brand has now embarked on a new journey: the opening of its first hotel in Rome.

Orient Express La Minerva, Rome

Located on the Piazza della Minerva, just steps from the Pantheon, the hotel is housed in the former Palazzo Fonseca. Transformed into a hotel in 1811 by a wealthy French family, it quickly became one of Rome’s most fashionable addresses; a favoured stop-off for Grand Tour writers including Stendhal, George Sand and Herman Melville. Its new incarnation, the Orient Express La Minerva, has been reborn under the direction of Franco-Mexican designer Hugo Toro, continuing a hospitality portfolio that includes the Michelin-starred Pur’ at the Park Hyatt Paris-Vendôme and Booking Office 1869 at London’s St Pancras.

Toro’s work is united by a sense of warmth and tactility: a rich, earthy palette and craftsmanship drawn from Hailing from Alsace-Lorraine, Toro gained a master’s in interior design at Penninghen in Paris, before completing a second master’s in experimental architecture at the University of Applied Arts Vienna and UCLA, where his focus on complex 3D modelling and printing processes continues to shape his work. ‘I’m interested in artisanship and working with my hands,’ he notes. ‘But I also like to push new techniques, to see how the two can merge.’

Toro describes working on La Minerva as ‘waking up a sleeping beauty’. His task was to revive the grande dame using a contemporary lens while also creating a dialogue with Rome. ‘I wanted the Romans to be proud of this hotel,’ says Toro. ‘It’s such an institution. I wanted to have a reflection of the city.’

The hotel’s 93 guest rooms feature earthy, mineral tones, with Toro interweaving art deco details alongside references to the Eternal City. ‘When you go to Rome, it feels a little chaotic in some way, but the city has a lot of texture and warmth.’ Although the colour palette remains consistent throughout, each room is unique, with Toro hand-painting bespoke headboards for the suites.

‘They reflect a sky horizon depending on the orientation of the bed,’ he says, ‘So if you’re facing east, the colours are cooler.’ This attention to detail extends to the rest of the hotel, with the bar dressed in the same rich tones and bespoke furnishings. Here, a statue of Minerva from the original hotel takes pride of place under a spectacular glass roof restored by Toro. Up on the seventh floor, leafy palms and green trellised columns bring a freshness to rooftop restaurant Gigi Rigolatto, while the light blue furnishings are a nod to the panoramic views of Rome’s skyline.

A quartet of signature suites – the Stendhal, La Minerva, Obelisco and Orient Express – crown the guest room offering. Individually designed yet bound by the same aesthetic, they feature textured plaster walls, Rosso Verona marble bathrooms and original 17th-century floors, as well as providing views of the Pantheon and Bernini’s Elephant and Obelisk sculpture in the square below.

The Orient Express suite is the largest at 190 sq m, a rarity in central Rome, featuring a rich interplay of textures: glossy oak wardrobes, metal and burgundy leather dining chairs, and amber-hued Murano glass lighting create a mood of quiet opulence. The bathroom’s Rosso Verona shell-shaped basins are inspired by the city’s fountains, while a bathtub, surrounded by a curved marble wall sculpture, is a subtle nod to traditional Ottoman bathing culture. In the living area, a large curved sofa is covered in a bespoke jacquard fabric bearing motifs that nod to the patina of the neighbouring building, while a circular rug is inspired by the Pantheon’s cupola.

There’s a playful nod to travel in the minibar area, which is framed by dark wood panelling, carved to echo the grooves of a Rimowa suitcase. The suite also features a travertine fireplace in the dining room and a discreet study concealed behind a hidden door. As with the other suites, there are marble-topped kitchenettes fitted for convenience – though guests need not cook, as a private chef can be arranged – complemented by a retro record player and a curated vinyl selection for late-night listening sessions.

To complete the mise-en-scène, Toro collaborated with an art curator to source contemporary Italian artworks and objets d’art, supplementing them with pieces from Parisian and Roman antique markets, as well as from his own personal collection. Works include a cloth map collage, mounted on board and bound in black leather, by Lucy Naughton, geometric wood paintings by Studio Blaau, and a collection of églomisé glass pieces by Studio Ulgador.

‘I wanted to create something quite domestic, somewhere warm,’ says Toro. ‘I think that’s what people are looking for in hospitality today. And Orient Express is not just about creating a beautiful space, it’s about creating the whole experience.’

Orient Express La Minerva is located at Piazza della Minerva, 69, 00186 Roma, Italy.

This article appears in the January 2026 Next Generation Issue of Wallpaper*, available in print on newsstands, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today.

The worlds of ancient Greece and Rome have sparked inspiration for designers and creatives across an eclectic array of mediums. For Cartier, the rich mix of heritage and classical antiquity has proved a tempting draw since the mid-19th century, when historical motifs began to be translated into intricate jewellery pieces.

It is a history the maison is marking in Rome, with an exhibition that puts high jewellery creation in dialogue with ancient sculptures at Palazzo Nuovo. ‘Cartier & Myths at the Capitoline Museums’ presents jewellery from Cartier – the majority from the Cartier Collection (spanning the 19th and 20th centuries) – with marble sculptures from Cardinal Alessandro Albani’s collection, which formed the basis of the museum’s original contents. Situated alongside a selection of ancient artefacts from the Capitoline Superintendency and international institutions and private collections, they recall a fruitful and enduring two-way conversation.

Jewellery historian Bianca Cappello, who curated the exhibition alongside archeologist Stéphane Verger and Capitoline Superintendent Claudio Parisi Presicce, traces the evolution of an inspiration through the jewellery. A journey from the 19th century ‘pastiches’ through to a decorative neoclassical style and avant-garde works inspired by Jean Cocteau reveals an organic development of style. Part of the exhibition considers the process of making itself, examining the creation process in Roman and modern times, while another looks at the myths that underpin high jewellery pieces.

Cartier & Myths is at the Capitoline Museums until 15 March 2026

museicapitolini.org

After five years of closure, architect Fabio Tudisco in collaboration with Poltrona Frau have unveiled the freshly restored Teatro della Cometa, a historic theatre in the heart of Rome. The Italian luxury furniture company worked closely with the architect to refurbish the space with decadent seating that nods to its storied past, while adapting the space for contemporary viewing.

Inside Teatro della Cometa

The theatre was originally designed in 1958 by architect Tomaso Buzzi and Countess Anna Laetitia ‘Mimì’ Pecci Blunt. Now the theatre has lifted the curtain on its new visual identity by Studio Sonnoli, reflecting its diverse offering and contemporary approach to musical performance.

For the interiors, Tudisco worked alongside Poltrona Frau’s Custom Interiors branch, specialising in designing and producing custom seating specifically for shared spaces such as auditoriums, performance venues and hospitality establishments.

Wanting to reclaim the building’s original beauty and functionality, Poltrona Frau worked on a solution that was inspired by its own ‘TLT’ model (a seating plan originally designed for historic theatre settings), which was expertly tweaked to accommodate the theatre's distinct layout.

Across the stalls and two balconies, three different seat heights were implemented, positioned in a way to give every viewer optimal sightlines. Each armchair was designed to match the building’s original 1950s interiors, while the inclination of the seats and backrests were set to enhance visibility and performance.

The chairs were upholstered in lavishly rich red Rubelli fabrics, injecting elegance and old-world opulence.

‘It is a privilege for us to contribute to the restoration of Teatro della Cometa,’ says Nicola Coropulis, CEO of Poltrona Frau. ‘Through our Custom Interiors Business Unit, we collaborate on some of the world’s most distinguished auditoriums and theatres, yet contributing to the rebirth of such a historic Roman landmark holds a truly special significance. This project reflects Poltrona Frau’s ability to unite craftsmanship and technical innovation, bringing new life, value, and beauty to a symbolic place of Italian culture.’

A horological honour

Bill Prince, editor-in-chief

On Thursday evening I presented the award for Best Men’s Watch (which went to Urban Jürgensen) at the 25th edition of the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève, otherwise known as the ‘Oscars of the watch industry’, held annually in the Swiss city. The event celebrates watchmaking excellence, whatever and wherever its source, and thus attracts a huge number of entries from across the globe. These are whittled down by the GPHG Academy and then adjudicated by a jury made up of industry insiders, collectors and journalists, of which I was one, and whose final decisions are recorded by secret ballot and revealed on the night. Among the evening’s big winners: Breguet, which picked up the ‘Aiguille d’Or’ (Grand Prize) for its Classique Souscription 2025 timepiece, recreated in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the company’s founding by the 'father of modern watchmaking’, Abraham-Louis Breguet, and Zenith, whose legendary Calibre 135 won the Chronometry prize for supreme accuracy in timekeeping.

A colourful collaboration

Anna Solomon, digital staff writer

Last week, I popped into Rixo’s sumptuously vintage-inspired Chelsea flagship to celebrate the brand’s new collaboration with Ruggable – makers of the machine-washable rugs I’m a little bit obsessed with (I have one in my living room, and honestly, I don’t think I could ever go back to stain remover and scrubbing). The collection, which has now launched and is available to shop, fuses Rixo’s playful, hand-painted prints with Ruggable’s life-proof tech. The result is a whimsical mash-up of vibrant florals, intricate geometrics and painterly motifs. These personality-packed pieces are every maximalist's dream, served with a side of nostalgia but sleek enough for the modern interior.

A riveting read

Ailis Bickford, digital project manager

This week, I welcomed the cold weather and the barrage of Christmas reminders by locking myself in my flat like Ebenezer Scrooge and finishing my book, Flesh by David Szalay – the winner of the Booker Prize for 2025. The story follows a man throughout his life – from growing up in Hungary and joining the army to marrying a wealthy older woman in London. At each stage of the narrative, he is desired for his body. As the story unfolds, the disconnect between his body and mind becomes increasingly, heart-wrenchingly apparent. A short but emotional read, this is definitely one to pick up this winter.

A drizzly drive

Jonathan Bell, transport and technology editor

A swift trip to the drizzly Midlands to visit RBW EV, a company that builds all-new bespoke electric sports cars infused with the spirit of the classic MGB. It wasn't quite top down weather but the driving experience managed to rekindle an authentic connection to the road, thanks to RBW's proprietary engineering know-how. These delightful machines are wrapped up in a finely crafted package and shipped around the world to enthusiasts who want a bit more emotional engagement from their EVs.

Relics in Rome

Hannah Silver, art, culture, watches & jewellery editor

I visited Rome this week to celebrate the opening of Cartier & Myths at the beautiful Capitoline Museums, which places Cartier showstoppers in context with ancient sculptures and artefacts, a celebration of how classical codes have always been an inspiration. A stop to see the exquisite new high jewellery collection at Palazzo Talia’s and a fun dinner at Pierluigi Restaurant made for a whirlwind 24 hours.

Innovation at an institution

Ellie Stathaki, architecture & environment director

A visit to the new Backstage at The Old Vic this week reminded me to book some nights out at the theatre. Beyond creating functional and joyful – much-needed – spaces for the South London organisation's own operations (from a marvellous green room to dressing rooms and a Writer's Room I’d love to book for myself one day), the building also has a new bar and café, open to all – conveniently just around the corner from the main stage. Warm crimson, terracotta, yellow and orange hues (I have always been partial to that colour palette) bring the interiors alive, beautifully complemented by a sturdy, exposed timber frame. An unexpected highlight is the façade’s sunshading screen, which is, in fact, ingeniously made of refurbished and painted old barn doors. You will find me at the bar, having a pre- or post-performance drink soon.

A Scotch sojourn

Anne Soward, production editor

I had a Brigadoon moment this week, lost in the magical mist and fog of the Scottish island of Islay with two Americans (designer Ini Archibong and his manager brother Archie). Known as the whisky island, the tiny Hebridean enclave (home to 3,000 people and a lot of sheep) hosts ten distilleries, but I was here to visit Port Ellen as it prepares to launch a new artwork by Archibong to welcome visitors (more on this to come in a few weeks). Founded in 1825 but closed for more than four decades, this ‘ghost’ distillery recently reopened after the discovery that some of its single-malt casks, left quietly maturing during the closure, had turned into some seriously palate-blowing Scotch. As a cult following clamoured for the liquid gold, the decision was made to rebuild the distillery in contemporary form, adhering to a Scandinavian aesthetic that both suits its setting and presents a fittingly cosy environment for savouring the whisky’s intense flavours. I’ve never been much of a whisky drinker but I was spirited away by the passions of the Port Ellen hosts, who attuned my palate to the amber nectar’s peaty smokiness, heavily imbued with notes of fruit and spices, conjuring up visions of autumn walks, crackling campfires, and Christmas.

When ancient forms meet contemporary architecture, remarkable things happen. Few places exemplify this union as masterfully as the Basilica di Massenzio in Rome, where architecture firm Alvisi Kirimoto has unveiled a new exhibition pathway commissioned by the Colosseum Archaeological Park. Woven into the historic fabric of the site, this intervention fosters a dialogue between memory and modernity while introducing new layers of functionality.

The Basilica di Massenzio, one of the grandest structures in the Roman Forum, was originally commissioned by Emperor Maxentius around 308 AD and later completed by Emperor Constantine I. Alvisi Kirimoto’s project enhances the landmark with a multifunctional stage, restored flooring and interactive informational totems.

At the heart of the intervention is the stage, located in the central hall. It re-establishes the spatial relationship with the aisles – originally used by congregants when the basilica served as a civic centre or courthouse. Constructed using a modular system, with a steel frame and Keller grating platform, the stage will host theatrical performances, film screenings and conferences, reviving the building’s original function as a public gathering place.

‘The new stage is a contemporary element – clearly legible, yet discreetly embedded,’ says Massimo Alvisi, co-founder of Alvisi Kirimoto. ‘It offers a solution that balances functionality with a deep respect for the monument.’

It is not only a functional centrepiece, but also a vantage point from which to admire the basilica’s majestic architecture. Accessible from all sides, the stage has a stepped seating area with views toward the Horti Farnesiani, the Renaissance gardens on Palatine Hill. The birch plywood surface is articulated with wooden slats that intensify toward the centre, subtly guiding the viewer’s eye to the monument’s core.

The project has also reimagined the basilica’s forecourt, resurfacing it with a natural mix of earth and lime. Informational totems, equipped with audiovisual systems, provide visitors with an enriched experience.

Every detail – from the stage and seating to the flooring and signage – works to enhance the site, transforming it into a living, inclusive space. Alvisi Kirimoto’s design goes beyond conservation; by reactivating its role as a civic space, one of Italy’s most iconic landmarks is reinterpreted through a contemporary lens.

One of the best pieces of real estate in Rome actually belongs to France. The Villa Medici, a Renaissance villa, sits in the heart of the Italian capital, high up on Mount Pincio, with seven hectares of gardens and commanding views of the city. In 1803, after acquiring the villa, Napoleon Bonaparte made it the new home of the French Academy in Rome. Since then, it has welcomed a long series of French artists-in-residence, including Ingres, Fragonard and Debussy. In 2009, the Villa Medici began allowing the general public to spend a night or more in its guest rooms. Six of these rooms have now been completely renovated, boosting the appeal of one of the greatest sleepover experiences in the Eternal City.

The instigator of this revamp is Sam Stourdzé, who arrived here as director in 2020 (and has since commissioned a series of interior ‘re-enchantments’ at the property, including one by India Mahdavi). ‘The building is an absolute beauty, but the furnishings were lacking,’ he says. ‘Whenever somebody came to visit, they'd go directly to the window and admire the view.’ Part of the Academy's mission is to be a place for research, and a showcase for French arts and craft, so he says it was key to ‘reactualise its appearance, bringing it firmly into the 21st century’.

He launched the villa's most ambitious makeover since the French artist Balthus, who served as director from 1961-1977, and redid the gorgeous patina on the walls. The six rooms (in fact, seven, as one is still under construction) and two gardens are the second phase of a planned three-stage renovation.

An open competition was held for teams of architects and designers. The winners brought along 38 other arts and crafts professionals – an entire ecosystem of master glassworkers, cabinetmakers, decorative painters, enamelists and more.

The rooms all measure around 45 sq m, with herringbone brick floors, a double-height coffered wooden ceiling, and a mezzanine reached by a spiral staircase. All but one is linked by an elevated walkway, with windows offering an expansive view of Rome on one side and the gardens on the other. Once similar, now each room is totally unique.

The design duo Sabourin Costes redesigned the largest one, naming it ‘Isola’, an island for contemplation and creation. They opened up the space, tore down walls and removed the spiral staircase, for a clean overall effect, emphasising the stunning vistas outside. The central element is a large table made of dense ‘mélèze’ wood, perfect for writing, drawing, eating or sharing ideas.

The smallest room, ‘Stratus Surprisus’, was realised by Constance Guisset to be cosy, embracing and full of surprises. The walls, by a decorative plaster designer, are an homage to Balthus, coated with a mix of marble powder and plaster, in colours of pale blue, chestnut and mocha, and a play of matte and brilliance. In one corner, five blown glass ‘stones’ provide soft lighting while referencing the Medici coat of arms.

The room named ‘Il cielo in una stanza’ is a walk through Rome by Italian designers Studio Zanellato/Bortotto, who worked with ‘grand feu’ enamellers. Fire-glazed copper tiles on the wall behind the spiral staircase are green like the pines outside. Fireclay bricks form a handrail and balustrade in a semi-open pattern like a brise-soleil. On the kitchen wall, travertine alternates with cement in a pattern reminiscent of ancient Roman masonry techniques.

‘Camera Fantasia’ is a riot of perspectives by Gaëlle Gabillet and Stéphane Villard of Studio GGSV. They brought in an Italian specialist in micro-paper pulp who coated the kitchen walls in a swirling black-and-white pattern like stone, while a decorative painter covered the other walls in dreamy cloud-like forms. The result is both remarkable and sustainable. ‘Two kilos of paint and eight kilos of paper pulp allowed us to create a practically virtual architecture,’ says Villard.

‘Pars pro toto’, by architects Eliane Le Roux and Miza Mucciarelli, is a microarchitecture of curves and arches inspired by the Villa Medici, of which one ornamental façade is visible outside the window. The walls are treated with a velvety ‘Malta Antica’ mortar traditionally used in historical palaces. One particularly enchanting detail is an antique chest of drawers with three missing knobs replaced by stones from the property cast in bronze.

The room called ‘Studiolo’, by designers Sébastien Kieffer and Léa Padovani, is separate from the others, and the only room with a single window. Its decor is inspired by Antonello da Massina's 1475 painting Saint Jerome in His Study, with a two-storey wooden structure and arched cut-outs evocative of a church organ. With the kitchen walls painted a vivid green, the room creates the surreal sense that you might indeed be in a painting.

Pricewise, the six rooms are surprisingly reasonable, starting at €280 per night. The catch is in snagging a reservation, as priority is given to the Villa Medici's cultural collaborators. Start two months or more in advance, write an email, make a call, and hope to get lucky on an empty night. August is your best bet, when no exhibitions are underway.

Know that this is not a hotel experience – there's no reception desk, no room service, no elevators (it's definitely not accessible). That said, there’s nothing like an evening alone in the magical gardens with a bottle of Barolo and all of Rome spread at your feet. If you want a glimpse of life as a Renaissance cardinal, this is just the ticket.

villamedici.it

It was in 1959 that Valentino Garavani revealed his first collection to instant acclaim in Rome – including a dress, ‘La Fiesta’, in a bold shade of red. Some 66 years later, the singular, Pantone-recognised colour that has defined his prolific body of work ever since is being celebrated mere metres from where his career started.

‘Valentino Red’, the distinct shade of crimson owned and immortalised by Garavani, plays protagonist in the inaugural exhibition ‘Horizons/Red’ at PM23, the new cultural hub founded by the Fondazione Valentino Garavani and Giancarlo Giammetti in Piazza Mignanelli, the original headquarters of the Valentino fashion brand.

Staged across six rooms in the newly restored venue, five themes – defining beauty, identity, emotional landscapes, surface treatment and, lastly, dreamlike surfaces – are explored through the presentation of 50 of Valentino’s most iconic creations, spanning his career from 1959 to 2008, when he retired, alongside 30 works by artists, also dominated by the colour red.

Fondazione Valentino Garavani and Giancarlo Giammetti opens in Rome

Among the selected pieces, a tulle haute couture dress from Valentino’s groundbreaking 1959 collection looks out towards Cy Twombly’s Untitled, 2008; a backless crepe gown from S/S 2008 gazes at Clyfford Still’s 1955-D, PH-387 oil on canvas; a taffeta bubble-hem gown contemplates Francis Bacon’s 1983 Sand Dune painting; while haute couture column gowns take in Louise Bourgeois 20-frame compilation, 10am Is When You Come To Me (2006). They are joined by dozens more dialogues.

‘Seeing the dresses and artworks together sparked emotions we didn’t anticipate,’ Giancarlo Giammetti, Valentino’s life and business partner, told Wallpaper* ahead of the exhibition opening on 25 May. ‘It reminded us how timeless beauty can be, and how creativity speaks across decades. It was both a professional and personal journey.’

The pair looked to former collaborator Pamela Golbin, who curated the definitive ‘Valentino: Themes and Variations’ exhibition at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in 2008 when Valentino retired, to curate once again.

Given free rein, Golbin selected each of the 50 gowns from the archive and had them meticulously restored to be ready for their new close-up. Faced with the challenge to celebrate Valentino’s legacy as one of the fashion world’s most important couturiers, Golbin wanted to take an approach that matches the originality of Valentino’s designs.

‘There have been so many art and fashion exhibitions in the past when you put a definition onto the dress that the designer never intended to have – so we really wanted to keep as authentic as possible,’ Golbin told Wallpaper*. ‘So while we explored red through art and fashion, it was not fashion and art dialoguing, because Mr Valentino did not dialogue with these works of art and these artists – many of whom died some years back – obviously didn’t know Mr Valentino’s work, so we didn’t want to set up an artificial dialogue.’

The alchemy that happened as a result was a happy coincidence.

‘What was stunning about having them both reply to the same themes is that something did happen between them, perhaps because all of them define one theme, and that is beauty. At the centre of this foundation is that beauty creates beauty.’

Valentino, who recently celebrated his 93rd birthday, was heavily involved in the realisation of the exhibition, said Golbin. He had paid a visit to the space the day before Wallpaper’s private tour, creating a moment for himself and Giammetti to pause for reflection.

‘It’s emotional,’ said Giammetti. ‘You don’t realise what you’ve built until you take a step back. Curating this exhibition has been a way to look at our past, not with nostalgia, but as inspiration for what comes next.’

The exhibition is the first of many at the PM23 space that will serve as a ‘centre of cultural exchange’ moving forward, said Giammetti, adding that the realisation of the space was especially significant for him and Valentino.

‘This space, in the heart of Rome, represents the culmination of a dream – to create a lasting, tangible home for the cultural mission and the activities supported by the Fondazione. It’s about opening the door to the future, offering a space for creativity, for new voices, and for a community built around culture and inspiration.’

It also embodies the pair’s hope for future generations of aspiring creatives, just like they were back when they met in 1960.

‘I hope they stay curious, authentic, and fearless. The world has changed, but the need for vision and courage remains the same. Art and fashion are not only industries. they are ways of telling stories. I hope the next generation feels empowered to tell theirs. If we can inspire even one young person to pursue a path of beauty and purpose, our efforts will have been worthwhile.’

Horizons/Red opens at PM23 on Piazza Mignanelli on 25 May 2025, with free admission until June 11, 2025.

fondazionevg-gg.com

In one of Zaha Hadid's final projects, she left her signature organic and flowing style on Romeo Roma, a hotel of contrast and progressive timelessness, newly opened in 2025, having taken ten years to complete. At the time of embarking on the project, a year before she died, Hadid had already made her avant-garde mark on the eternal city with MAXXI, Rome’s first public museum dedicated to contemporary creativity. For the hotel, a more intimate design prospect, she collaborated with Alfredo Romeo, founder of the Romeo Collection, whose debut property in Naples and now the Rome location pair hospitality with art, architecture, wellness, and dining.

Wallpaper* checks in at: Romeo Roma

What’s on your doorstep?

Housed within a 16th-century palazzo on Via di Ripetta, Romeo Roma sits at the heart of the Tridente district, a triangular formation of three main streets in central Rome. Exit the hotel and turn left to easily reach Piazza del Popolo and its twin Baroque churches, or head right to venture into the Centro Storico, where one can join coin tossing at Fontana di Trevi. Via del Corso’s luxury boutiques might be hard to resist, but the nearby Villa Borghese, Villa Medici and Galleria Doria Pamphilj demand full attention.

Who is behind the design?

After Romeo purchased Palazzo Capponi in 2012, the hotel group’s in-house design team began working on the building’s conversion, bringing in Hadid and her team, led by Paola Cattarin, in 2015. The discovery of an archaeological site mid-build caused delays in the project, resulting in the decade it took to complete. While the exterior showcases Renaissance architecture, the interiors diverge from the period’s coherence, prominently featuring Carrara Statuarietto and Nero Marquina marble, Makassar ebony wood and Krion by Porcelenosa.

The hotel is filled with juxtaposing details, from Hadid’s signature flowing lines to a bust of the first Roman empress, Livia Drusilla, in the lobby. The reception sees gold brass structures that shimmer against marble walls, while tree-like ramifications define the restaurant’s interiors. Elsewhere, the indoor pool with a transparent floor reveals ancient Roman ruins beneath. ‘Rome’s architectural history can be read in its masonry vaults, from the Roman, through the Renaissance and Baroque periods, into the 18th century. We took inspiration from this idea, to make a new interpretation of vaults and their intersections. All the different rooms, down to the furniture, are designed with this concept,’ shares Cattarin.

The room to book

Romeo Roma houses 74 rooms and suites that feel like a study in contrast. The two-level Fresco Suites are a palimpsest of architectural layers, showcasing restored 17th-century frescoes, ceilings of painted trompe l’oeil arches, and a layout that ebbs and flows like signature Zaha Hadid. The living area includes a bespoke fireplace and a balcony with views of Piazza del Popolo, while the bathroom is equipped with a free-standing bathtub and shower cabin with steam room and sauna. Although less futuristic in nature, The Penthouse is the top suite category and includes a private rooftop garden of 100 sq m.

For architecture buffs seeking to experience the hotel for its maker's touch, the Junior and Deluxe suites, both entry-level, are a compact take on the upper categories, but display Zaha Hadid Architects’ fingerprint across stretched and elasticised walls and details.

Staying for drinks and dinner?

Described as a ‘luxury food court’, Il Cortile is the go-to for all-day Italian dining. Its indoor space is adorned with undulating ebony arches, while the tables outdoors boast the serenity of the hotel’s private garden. Soon to open will be La Terraza, a sky bar offering a selection of Krug Champagne and panoramic views. For now, the Il Bar is a sleek spot for pre- and post-dinner drinks.

Another prominent figure in the Romeo Roma mix is Monégasque chef Alain Ducasse, overseeing the hotel’s fine dining restaurant and breakfast service. Here, local ingredients meet Ducasse’s precision, yielding unexpected flavour combinations. Guests can choose between an á la carte menu or an eight-course tasting journey. Standout dishes include charred puntarelle paired with bufala cream and bottarga, Mediterranean blue lobster accompanied by turnip tops and wild myrtle, and a chocolate and coffee dessert made by Alain Ducasse Manufacture in Paris.

Where to switch off

The in-house Sisley Paris Spa unfolds across 1,000 sq m and encompasses a subterranean pool that reveals glimpses of Roman ruins, a relaxation room with a sauna and hammam, a Technogym fitness area and treatment cabins offering phyto-aromatic treatments.

The verdict

It is hard not to label Romeo Roma as an ambitious and bold project. The juxtaposition of Renaissance and ultra-modern might not be everyone’s cup of tea, as the dramatic aesthetic may feel more like a curated art piece than a welcoming retreat at times. Yet, it’s in its high-end service and amenities that the hotel becomes homelike. With its central location, Romeo Roma is certainly a new and exciting way of experiencing the eternal city.

Romeo Roma is located at Via di Ripetta, 246, 00186 Roma, Italy; theromeocollection.com

Artists’ residence Villa Medici presents its new photography exhibition ‘Chromotherapia’. Located within the sixteenth century Italian villa, just outside of Rome’s city centre, the exhibition explores how we view colour as a way of therapy.

‘Chromotherapia' at Villa Medici

Villa Medici is known for hosting a wide range of artistic programs from exhibitions to festivals. Now, the villa has been adorned in the bright colours of twentieth century photography which includes playful imagery highlighted in bold hues from neon yellows to electric blues, deep oranges and vibrant reds.

Visitors are encouraged to explore the exhibition through the lens of 19 artists, including work from Maurizio Cattelan & Pierpaolo Ferrari, the duo behind Toiletpaper,prolific photographer Walter Chandoha, and American artist, director and screenwriter Alex Prager, to name a few. The showcase, which is divided into seven chapters (each chapter displaying genres of varying from food images in'Foodorama' to quirky animals in 'Raining Cats and Dogs' ), dives into the creators’ colourfully saturated world, which is quite often not taken very seriously.

In 1907, the first industrial colour photograph was created by the Lumière brothers. This welcomed a new century of experimentation capturing ordinary landscapes to more political imagery swiftly becoming a central narrative element and offering a new chromatic vision of the world.

What we can see from ‘Chromotherapia’ is the fun and free-spirited nature the photographers have applied by truly exploring the photographic medium in all its potential. The array of imagery toys with pop art, surrealism, bling, kitsch, and the baroque. This diverse view all has one common denominator, the desire to try and see life and emotions differently that sometimes only colour can convey.

The exhibition is accompanied by a photographic book Chromotherapia, Feel-Good Color Photography edited by Damiani Books and the Villa Medici.

‘Chromotherapia’ at Villa Medici in Rome is on display until 9 June 2025 villamedici.it

With the flurry of art fairs coming up, there’s no shortage of masterworks to delight, inspire and seduce us. From Frieze Los Angeles 2025 and Contemporary African Art Fair Marrakech this February to Art Basel Hong Kong in March, the art world and its patrons have shown that if you love art, you must travel for it. So, if art is life and life is art, why not embody the avant-garde sensibility and turn even your sleeping quarters into a Gesamtkunstwerk (German for ‘total work of art’)? From contemporary art at New Hotel Athens to surrealism at the Broadwick Soho and modernism at The Fife Arms in Scotland, the following art hotels make sleeping feel like a night at the museum.

The best hotels for art lovers

The Broadwick Soho, London

The Broadwick Soho is a wild, decadent hotel in the heart of London that draws on 1970s-era discotheque opulence and smoky, velvet backrooms. Yet its maximalist design, masterminded by interior designer Martin Brudnizki (also behind the makeover of members’ club Annabel’s), is thoughtfully supplemented by an impressive art collection. Selected from hotel owner Noel Hayden’s personal collection, a series of 300 original artworks curated by Jonathan Brook match the Broadwick’s eclecticism, ranging from iconic masterworks like Andy Warhol’s shoe sketches, À la recherche du shoe perdu (1955), that were once part of David Bowie’s estate, and works by Francis Bacon and Bridget Riley, to flea-market finds and works by contemporary artists such as Faye Wei Wei and Casey Moore.

The Broadwick Soho is located at 20 Broadwick St, London W1F 8TH, United Kingdom; broadwicksoho.com

Château Voltaire

Smack dab in the centre of Paris’ 1st arrondissement, between Opéra and Tuileries, Thierry Gillier, founder of the French fashion brand Zadig & Voltaire, brought to life a five-star, 32-room hotel that feels as personal as the art on its walls. At Château Voltaire, works from Gillier’s personal collection dot the space – each room is unique, so you might wake up under a piece by Picasso or Cy Twombly, or see works by Marlene Dumas, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Stephen Shearer and Francis Picabia in the lobby and lounge. With artistic direction led by Franck Durand, and interior design by Festen, the mood is one of highly curated contemporary eclecticism with elements of elegant gothic design, in buildings that date back to the 17th and 18th centuries.

Château Voltaire is located at 55 Rue Saint-Roch, 75001 Paris, France; chateauvoltaire.com

El Fenn, Marrakech

Co-owners Vanessa Branson (sister of Richard), Madeline Weinrib (and her husband Graham Head, president of ABC Carpet & Home), along with El Fenn’s creative director Yann Dobry have all had a hand in defining the hotel’s eclectic art and interiors that blend Marrakech style with bohemian luxury. As a collector and gallerist, Branson’s taste in art has appeared throughout El Fenn’s hallways since it opened in 2004: pieces by William Kentridge, Antony Gormley, Bridget Riley and David Shrigley remain on display. The hotel, whose name means ‘house of art’, remains closely tied to culture – many contemporary Moroccan artists, such as Hassan Hajjaj and Yto Barrada are featured in the space as well.

El Fenn is located at Derb Moulay Abdullah Ben Hezzian, 2, Marrakech 40000, Morocco; el-fenn.com

The Fife Arms, Braemar

When two of the art world’s most powerful players open a hotel, you know that the art collection will be worth the visit alone. Owned by Iwan and Manuela Wirth of the famed gallery Hauser & Wirth, The Fife Arms offers artwork to rival many major museums. A 19th-century Victorian coaching inn located in the picturesque village of Braemar in the Scottish Highlands, just about everything at the Fife Arms is extraordinary. Its jaw-dropping collection is made up of nearly 16,000 pieces that range from Pablo Picasso’s Mousquetaire Assis (1967) and Lucian Freud’s Child Portrait (1962) to a painting by Gerhard Richter, and a piece by Renaissance painter Pieter Bruegel the Younger. The Russell Sage-designed interiors incorporate Scottish heritage with tweed and tartan accents and antiques in keeping with the property’s history. Where else can you stay with two full-time art historians who were brought on board to research Scottish history, Victoriana and contemporary art?

The Fife Arms is located at Mar Rd, Braemar, Ballater AB35 5YN, United Kingdom; thefifearms.com

New Hotel, Athens

Owned by Cypriot Dakis Joannou, one of the world’s preeminent contemporary art collectors and founder of the Deste Foundation, the New Hotel in Athens is a hub for supporting and showcasing contemporary art. Revolving exhibitions feature contemporary artists from the Athenian scene, while 20 pieces from Joannou’s personal collection also dot the walls. Works by major artists such as Jenny Holzer, Laurie Simmons, Jeff Koons and Barbara Kruger are in the hotel’s permanent collection, and there's an installation by a Greek artist in every suite. For the bibliophile, 2,000 art books are on display in the hotel’s Art Lounge. Designed by Brazilian brothers Fernando and Humberto Campana, the 79-room hotel with views of the Acropolis harkens back to classic Greek architecture but is infused with hand-selected luxury design details that nod to a forward-thinking, eclectic sensibility.

New Hotel, Athens is located at Filellinon 16, Athens 105 57, Greece; donkeyhotels.gr

Pompey Jamaica

Located in Portland Parish on Jamaica's north-east coast, Pompey is a private estate owned by American DJ and music producer Diplo, surrounded by dense rainforest on 50 acres of land. The brutalist complex designed by Freecell Architecture in collaboration with designer Gia Wolff is complemented by an art collection that includes work by artists such as Sofia Londoño, Pedro Reyes, Lucas Muñoz, Asafo Flag, Garnett Puett, Veronica Ryan and Vince Skelly. Composed of a main house, a music studio, a yoga studio, a spa and a lagoon, the interiors by Sara Nataf and Katelyn Hinden and landscape design by Geoponika provide a homely contrast to the stark concrete structure that seems to be swallowed up by its jungle surrounds – a metaphor for the hideaway that Diplo envisioned.

pompeyjamaica.com

Rhinoceros Roma

If having artwork on the walls of your hotel isn’t enough, how about sleeping above a gallery? Rhinoceros Roma in Rome’s ancient Velabro district – home to Fondazione Alda Fendi Esperimenti, the contemporary art foundation of Alda Fendi, youngest daughter of the Fendi family – allows just that. Restored by architect Jean Nouvel, the 17th-century palazzo houses 25 apartments that exude luxury with ultra-modern, Italian minimalist chic (think: lots of chrome and concrete floors). On the bottom floor, an art gallery hosts rotating exhibitions, including a partnership with the Hermitage Museum of Saint Petersburg that has shown works by Picasso, El Greco and Michelangelo.

Rhinoceros Roma is located at Via del Velabro, 9, 00186 Rome, Italy; rhinocerosroma.com

Les Roches Rouges, Saint-Raphaël

Set on the splashy landscape of the French Riviera, Les Roches Rouges in Saint-Raphaël embodies classic Côte d’Azur style with minimalist furnishings that ooze elegance. Interior design studio Festen Architecture gave the hotel’s 1950s modernist architecture a fresh vision in sun-drenched colours reminiscent of vintage Mediterranean style. Antique dealers Hélène Breheret and Benjamin Desprez selected furniture from designers such as Pierre Charreau, Willy Guhl and Charlotte Perriand, while sculptor Guy Bareff created custom Alpilles terracotta wall lamps. American artist Rosemarie Auberson made colour-block paintings based on a palette of blue tones, while artist Caroline Denervaud’s colourful abstractions add a light-hearted energy to the space.

Les Roches Rouges, Saint-Raphaël is located at 90 Bd de la 36ème division du Texas, 83530 Saint-Raphaël, France; beaumier.com

What to make of Orbis, a ‘symbol of sustainability and harmony for Pope Francis’, designed by leading Italian studio Pininfarina and presented to His Holiness at a ceremony in the Vatican this week? Part trophy, part mystic Catholic relic, part abstracted engine component, the Orbis is described as a ‘symbolic object’ by the studio.

Shaped by Pininfarina, with no clue given as to where it was crafted, the Orbis is a translucent asymmetric sculpture that has been designed to hold ‘significant meaning,’ splicing Catholic mysticism with the auto industry’s penchant for awarding itself trophies.

While the object itself was handed over to the supreme pontiff by a delegation of auto industry reps led by Silvio Pietro Angori, vice president and CEO of Pininfarina, amidst much ceremony, the backstory is a little more prosaic. In fact, it celebrates the fifth edition of ‘From 100 to 5%’, a massive annual test of EV efficiency organised by Motor1.com and this year launched from St Peter’s Square.

Described as a real-world test of battery life and range, ‘From 100 to 5%’ sees 12 key EVs pitched against one another in the urban traffic of Rome’s A90 ring road, the Grande Raccordo Anulare. Modest scaled models from Alfa Romeo, Citroën, Ford, Hyundai, Kia, Lancia, Mini, Omoda, Renault, Skoda, Smart and Volvo will duke it out on the autostrada to see which one does best, with results due in February.

The Orbis project might actually be a canny political play. Pininfarina speaks of the object representing the ‘shared values of sustainability, innovation, and commitment to building a better future’, its circular form ‘symbolising harmony and unity, while the dynamic, intertwined inner surfaces represent the creative tension required to build a sustainable future’.

In a world where the social, economic and political impetus to go all-electric threatens to be undone by rogue presidents guided by grudges and bad advice, Europe’s car makers are smart to get the papal authority on their side.

‘This object is not only a gift for the Holy Father but also an invitation for all of us to work together for a more sustainable world,’ Silvio Pietro Angori said after the ceremony. 'At Pininfarina, we believe design can be a powerful tool to inspire change, bridging innovation and responsibility.'

The transition to sustainable mobility is a technological challenge but, above all, it’s a cultural transformation that involves all of us.’ We’re living at a time when gestures, loyalties and symbolism have taken on new and urgent importance.

Pininfarina.it

It’s not exactly easy to pinpoint where the Wallpaper* editors will be. From design festivals to fashion weeks and OOO adventures, there’s always something exciting on our team’s calendars. Keep reading to find out where the magazine’s staff members will be heading in the new year.

Wallpaper* editors’ 2025 getaway plans

LA: Charlotte Gunn, Director of Digital Content

‘I will look forward to my annual trip to Los Angeles to visit friends and family. I spend the year diligently plotting all the new openings I want to try on a Google Map so I am fully prepped by the time we arrive. I’m already itching to try Camelia, a French fusion restaurant which opened in Echo Park at the end of the summer. I’m also keen to see how the development of Melrose Hill has progressed since my last visit – a couple of notable galleries had moved into the area and there was a pledge to redevelop a disused retail block with new independent shops and restaurants. To get me through the long British winter, I shall be dreaming of fresh seafood at sundown from The Jolly Oyster on Ventura beach.’

Venice & Helsinki: Ellie Stathaki, Architecture & Environment Director

‘The Venice Architecture Biennale always causes a stir of excitement at the architecture desk, so my biannual visit to the Italian city in May for the vernissage is at the top of my list for 2025. I am also dreaming of a winter trip to Helsinki. I’ve always felt there’s lots to see and enjoy in the Nordic capital, and I have only scratched the surface. I have only ever been for work, so going on a long weekend in a private capacity is also on my list. The reopening of Alvar Aalto’s Finlandia Hall in January just adds to the reasons why.’

Switzerland & Budapest: Hannah Tindle, Beauty & Grooming Editor

‘I’m hoping to travel to Clinique La Prairie in Switzerland in 2025, a spa and clinic that has been running since 1931. (Previous devotees to its ‘CLP method’ include Marlene Dietrich and Greta Garbo). I also want to visit the Omorovicza spa in Budapest, another institution with a storied past, built on the Rác Thermal Bath, which dates back to the 16th century.’

Naoshima: Jason Hughes, Creative Director

‘In 2025, I’m heading back to Japan, more specifically to visit the islands of Naoshima and Teshima, which sit in the Seto Inland Sea and are easily accessible by ferry from Osaka. Famous for their art and architecture, I look forward to exploring both islands on a bicycle and seeing the works of artists Yayoi Kusama, James Turrell, Walter De Maria and Lee Ufan. I’m planning to stay at Benesse House, a museum and hotel concept, designed by renowned Japanese architect Tadao Ando.’

Australia, Uzbekistan and beyond: Lauren Ho, Travel Director

‘As I live my life constantly on the road, it’s important for me to plan my trips so that I make the most of each region or destination I am in. For 2025, I will be ringing in the new year in Sydney, followed by a few weeks of checking out new hotels in Australia. In late January, I will be heading to Beijing to see the newly opened Mandarin Oriental Qianmen, the group’s newest property, which unfolds within a 600-year-old hutong complex. This will be followed by a trip to Tashkent, Uzbekistan, which I am particularly excited about, and then, I will make my way to Europe, where I plan to explore Greece’s new hotel openings, and will head from Lisbon to the islands of São Tomé and Príncipe. While luxury hotels are my passion, at least once a year I like to visit a random destination I have never been to and that most people might not have access to. Finally, by June, I hope to make my annual pilgrimage to Africa to get my safari fix.’

Malaysia: Melina Keays, Entertaining Director

‘In February, I am travelling to The Datai beach resort in Langkawi - one of my favourite destinations in the world. Langkawi is the largest of a cluster of islands off the coast of northwestern Malaysia, separated from the mainland by the Strait of Malacca. I’ve been visiting this wonderful place for decades, and it never loses its allure. Langkawi is a proper tropical paradise; awarded Geopark status by UNESCO, it offers lush rainforests, stunning mountain ranges and white sand beaches.

There are fantastic things to see and do all over the island, which is rich in history and culture, but I could easily spend all my time at The Datai resort itself. It was designed by visionary architect Kerry Hill, who was determined to honour its environment, and set high over Datai Bay. The hotel is melded into its jungle setting, and its beautiful rooms and spaces float amidst the rainforest canopy, with breathtaking views of the Andaman Sea. The food at the Datai is superb, and I am particularly looking forward to the delicious Malaysian cuisine at The Gulai House, which is to be found at the end of a candle-lit jungle trail.’

Geneva: Tianna Williams, Editorial Executive

‘For the first week of spring, I will be heading to Geneva, Switzerland, to reunite with my cousin and sister. The location of this annual reunion varies from year to year, from the rolling hills of Shropshire, the coastline of the Gower Peninsula to London’s Hyde Park. I am excited to trade the London smog for crisp Mont Blanc mountain air, warm up with soothing mugs of hot chocolate, and, if feeling brave, take a plunge in Lake Geneva.’

Madrid, Rome, Paris: Sofia de la Cruz, Travel Editor

‘I tend to be quite spontaneous with the locations I travel to, often booking trips or accepting invitations at the last minute. That said, I will begin the new year in Madrid, and a few weeks later, I have a trip planned to Rome to explore the upcoming Hotel Romeo Roma, one of Zaha Hadid’s final projects before she died in 2016. I also have a weekend in Paris scheduled, which is something I make a point to do every year. As for the rest of the year, I hope to fulfil my lifelong dream of visiting Japan.’

Shanghai: Smilian Cibic, Editorial Assistant

‘I’m travelling to Shanghai to visit my dad, who has been working there for the past five years. I’m looking forward to seeing what he’s been up to. He’s designed his own micro home apartment, which has had quite a stir in the Chinese press. We will then travel together to Jingdezhen, the porcelain capital of China and then Shenzhen, the tech capital of the world.’

For more Travel content, visit Wallpaper*’s dedicated channel

Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera is two years shy of its century. As one of the preeminent surviving Italian coachbuilders, the Milanese firm has gone through a familiar journey of success, struggle, bankruptcy and rebirth, and now finds itself once again in high demand as a supplier of bespoke automobiles to a select group of collectors who aren’t driven by the vicissitudes of luxury car one-upmanship. Touring builds for those who know what they want, not what they’re told they want, bucking trends in design, fashion and vulgar horsepower wars.

This is the Veloce12, a radical and comprehensive overhaul of the 550 Maranello, Ferrari’s flagship V12-powered grand tourer that was manufactured from 1996 to 2002. Originally bodied by Pininfarina, the 550 was never considered one of Ferrari’s stone-cold classics, but rather a relatively discrete GT that harked back to a golden age of motoring.

The Veloce12 starts with the raw building blocks of the 550 and amplifies them, tweaking surfaces and trim, mechanical systems and tunings, to create a GT that is both classically elegant and strikingly modern. ‘It was a dream to make a car that reflected on what we loved about the 90s, but which performs like a contemporary car,’ says Touring’s CEO, Markus Tellenbach, ‘Veloce12 offers the joy and pleasure of commanding a manual machine.’

Four design proposals were made, with the winning design approved by likely customers; 20 of the 30 cars planned have already been sold. ‘It is pure Italian, designed and built in Italy,’ says Tellenbach, adding that ‘everything can be bespoke, as long as it is legally possible.’ Touring’s manufacturing facility not only builds its own limited-edition models but occasionally contracts out to other manufacturers – the upcoming Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale is being built there.

You’d be hard-pressed to find many modern cars that blend a manual gearbox with a V12 (Aston Martin’s limited-edition Valour, for example) but that’s exactly what the Veloce12 promises. Ferrari’s 5.5-litre V12 is now paired with better cooling and exhaust systems, new brakes and an advanced new adaptive suspension system, all filtered through the purist analogue driving experience that only a traditional gated gearshift can provide.

‘The 550 had all the ingredients we need, although today it is [technically] quite dated,’ says Tellenbach. Touring set about engaging suppliers who could bring the company’s vision for the car to life. The result is described by Touring as ‘Pure Italianità’, and an ‘antidote to electronic overload.’

Thanks to those enhancements, the Veloce12 now provides an impressive 503hp. Paired with all carbon fibre bodywork, and the car is more responsive and dynamically capable than the original, without losing the qualities of refinement and effortless grace that define the brand. ‘It’s not where we normally sit but we wanted it to be a capable sports car in today’s market,’ Tellenbach admits, adding that ‘Touring is not about lap times or track days or straight-line acceleration. The GT expresses best what Touring stands for – it’s where we believe we can express ourselves in a convincing way.’

‘Touring has 98 years of practice at designing cars that stand the test of time,’ Tellenbach enthusiasts, stressing that in the modern era, the art of coachbuilding is very different. ‘You have to do it in co-operation with a manufacturer because cars are just so sophisticated,’ he says. Acting as a specialist manufacturer for the likes of Alfa Romeo – and licensing the ‘Superleggera’ name to Aston Martin – are just some of the ways that the art of the Carrozzeria survives in the present day. ‘Creating your own car is a high-risk business,’ Tellenbach explains.

Projects like Veloce12 capitalise on enthusiastic owners who want to transform their existing car for the better via an engaging, one-on-one bespoke process. ‘It’s a true driving experience,’ he says of the Veloce12, ‘we promised no screens. None. No downloads. No upgrades. It’s all about the joy of commanding something that precisely follows your directions and inputs. Wired. Honest. Straight and unfiltered.’

Inside and out, the Veloce12 presents a lithe and graceful face to the world, subtly muscular but still delicate in comparison to the aggressive swoops and vents of contemporary supercars and GTs. ‘It’s not a hooligan, it’s an elegant grand turismo,’ Tellenbach stresses, ‘it’s a car in a tuxedo, not a wrestling outfit.’

Touring Superleggera Veloce12, €690,000 plus donor car (excluding taxes), TouringSuperleggera.eu, @TouringSuperleggera

Cardo Hotels is the latest independent brand to join Marriott Bonvoy’s Autograph Collection. The new lifestyle line strives to offer a well-balanced work-and-pleasure experience, catering to a new generation of luxury travellers. Its inaugural property, Cardo Roma, stationed in the Italian capital, provides the best of Italian design, creating an inspiring working space and leisurely retreat that nods to the capital’s history.

Cardo Roma, Autograph Collection

Located just off the river Tiber, Cardo Roma lies within walking distance of large venues, such as Salone Delle Fontane, and conference buildings, including Palazzo dei Congressi. These links emulate the hotel’s ethos of ‘merging business with pleasure’, inspiring workspaces that connect guests to a city’s culture.

The inspiration behind the brand’s name derives from the north-south oriented street, known as ‘cardo’, found in Ancient Roman cities, which was the central hub of economic life. Nicolas Romero Oneto, head of Cardo Hotels, explains: ‘[This] embodies a lively and energetic vision that inspired our new, all-encompassing hospitality concept. Cardo Hotels uniquely adapted to the aesthetics and culture of their city, making them the perfect fit for Autograph Collection Hotels.’

Italian architect Lucio Passarelli originally completed the building in 1978, which has now been renovated to feature 324 guestrooms and suites, accompanied by business facilities and a wellness concept. Saar Zafrir, an Amsterdam-based designer, brought the interiors to life, drawing inspiration from the city's rich Roman history. A palette of olive green and terracotta is balanced with off-white hues. Sweeping arches and curved furniture add a playful touch, while luxury coffee table books by Taschen and fragrance by Muro equally transform the traditional conference hotel into a contemporary space.

Accompanying meeting spaces and secluded rooms, the hotel is also home to Olea Wellness and Spa, which includes a traditional sauna, hammam and four pools. After an afternoon of relaxation, guests can have a bite at Vertici, where authentic Italian cuisine, pasta-making classes and chef-hosted events await. For those feeling peckish and in no rush to leave the poolside, pool bar Spectio delivers an assortment of cocktails, snacks and smoothies accompanied by live music and DJ acts – a perfect round-up for a contemporary Roman Holiday.

Cardo Roma is located at Viale del Pattinaggio, 100, 00144 Roma, Italy, cardorome.com

La Pergola, helmed by chef Heinz Beck, was the first and only restaurant in Rome to earn three Michelin stars, a distinction it has held since 2005. But you could say it’s nearly as famous for the view – one that many will tell you is the best in town. La Pergola’s position on the top floor of Rome Cavalieri, A Waldorf Astoria Hotel – at the crest of the leafy Monte Mario, the city’s highest hill – provides a direct line of sight to Saint Peter’s, the Altare della Patria, and other Roman landmarks, with the historic centre stretching out in the distance.

La Pergola, Rome

‘You get the light, you get the heat, you get the terracotta roofs, the ochres, the siennas, this incredible warmth that comes out of the city,’ says Sanjit Manku, co-founder, with Patrick Jouin, of Paris-based architecture and interiors studio Jouin Manku. Last month, the firm completed its new design for the fine-dining institution – one that brings the city even closer.

‘Our aim is to conceptually and distinctly invite the essence of Rome into La Pergola,’ Jouin explains. In some ways, this is almost literal: The railing on the terrace, for example, has been rebuilt with panes of glass so that no view is obstructed. The bar is a fluted column made of travertine, the ancient Roman stone of choice; custom terracotta tiles, like those on the roofs at the foot of the hill, form a sort of baseboard around the perimeter of the main dining room. But the restaurant’s surroundings become part of the dining experience by more subtle means, too, like the draped fabric on the ceiling – which hides LEDs that create the restaurant’s own ‘sky,’ conjuring clouds or even speckles of rain. Rain on the Roman rooftops is mirrored, too, in the twinkling Hunat chandelier: angular tubes of crystal, dotted with bubbles, that descend from the ceiling.

Rome Cavalieri, completed in 1963, was designed by Ugo Luccichenti in collaboration with Pier Luigi Nervi, and some pieces – such as the custom carts that trolley wine, cheese, and tea between tables – speak to the broader hotel’s architectural heritage. Others are drawn from the private art collection housed on the property, which contains more than 1,000 works from various periods. The centrepiece of the second dining room is a set of vases by Art Nouveau glass master Émile Gallé, housed in a display case sunken into the back wall. ‘When we design a place, we always ask ourselves: What can we do that’s unique to this situation?’ Manku explains. ‘In the project for Cavalieri and Heinz Beck, we balanced the owners’ love for art and culture with Heinz’s blend of romanticism and modernity.’

Beck himself was heavily involved in the plans for the redesign, which incorporates more than a few nods to his cooking. ‘Everything is intentional,’ he says. The silk panels on the walls, embroidered in Paris by Atelier Montex, show the herbs and flowers that Beck uses most, which appear, too, on the dishes from Feeling’s Sylvie Coquet, the renowned porcelain studio in Limoges. And that larger idea of bringing Rome into the restaurant is palpable in Beck’s modernist cooking. The low-food-waste menu, updated for the reopening, includes creations like a faux sanpietrino – the style of cubical paving stone typical of Rome’s historic centre – crafted from tomato and vegetable charcoal, and lamb sull’Antica Appia, in which legumes mimic the rugged surface of the ancient Appian Way.

‘Chef Beck brilliantly marries the rich traditions of Italian culture with modern culinary techniques,’ Jouin says. With the renovation, he explains, ‘Our goal is to become the first amuse-bouche.’

La Pergola is located in Rome Cavalieri, A Waldorf Astoria Hotel, Via Alberto Cadlolo, 101, 00136 Rome, Italy, romecavalieri.com

This summer, Rome’s world-famous Galleria Borghese brings key sculptures from Louise Bourgeois’ oeuvre into dialogue with the museum’s collection of ancient Roman art, Bernini and Canova sculptures, Caravaggio, Titian and Raphael paintings, and the villa’s own 17th-century grandeur. At the centre of the magnificent entrance hall, famous for its sumptuous Mariano Rossi ceiling fresco, stands an imposing metal cell by Bourgeois entitled The Last Climb. It is one of the artist’s last cells, created in 2008, just two years before her passing.

Here, themes of mortality and ascension to a heaven beyond come into dialogue with Rossi’s neoclassical motifs, while other objects in the sombre circular cell serve as a self-portrait: the artist salvaged the metal staircase spiralling towards the skies from her former Brooklyn studio. Meanwhile, the barely perceivable threads running across the cell and its blue glass orbs are a reference to her mother, and her parents’ tapestry business.

‘Louise Bourgeois: Unconscious Memories’

Entitled ‘Unconscious Memories’, it is the museum’s first exhibition dedicated to a contemporary female artist and the first show devoted to Bourgeois in Rome, despite the fact that the Italian capital played a key role in the sculptor’s artistic production. Louise Bourgeois first travelled to Italy in 1967. In letters sent to her husband, an art historian, she describes seeing the architectural wonders of the Palazzo Barberini staircases, and, of course, her visit to the museum at Galleria Borghese. ‘Six Berninis!’ she wrote. ‘For this show, we selected works that were either created in Italy or that have a deep connection with Italy,’ says Cloé Perrone, who conceived and co-curated the show.

After Bourgeois’ initial trip to Italy, she introduced marble into her sculptural practice, several of which are exhibited here. The sculpture Jambes Enclacée (1990), installed facing Canova’s 19th-century marble masterpiece portraying Paolina Borghese Bonaparte as Venus, reverses the gendered roles of artist and muse: here, Bourgeois cast the legs of her longtime assistant and close friend Jerry Gorovoy, who is the president of the Easton Foundation, set up by Bourgeois. In the adjacent Apollo and Daphne room, the sculpture Topiary (2005), delightfully blends botanical myths to evoke a delicate physical transformation from childhood to womanhood.

Bourgeois’ own childhood looms large in her sculptural body of work. Her parents’ restoration workshops, her mother’s untimely death, her sister’s disability, and her strict education are all worked into the monumental cell Passages Dangereux (1997), which occupies the grand loggia on the museum’s second floor.

Downstairs, soft sculptures of heads are installed amongst the marble busts of emperors, and Bernini’s towering Abduction of Proserpina. Bourgeois’ sculptures are made from scraps of precious tapestries and Gobelins from her parents’ shop. Some of the textures and motifs on the fabrics resemble the marble present all around them, on the floor, walls, and busts. Bourgeois’ heads – eyes and mouths wide open – appear almost non-human, their expressions minimal yet contemplative, alarmed, tormented even.

The tug and pull of hardness and softness, compassion and restraint are omnipresent, and coexist in her signature. A sculpture titled Janus Fleuri (1968) is installed in dialogue with works in the museum’s Hermaphrodite gallery. Male and female themes are simply and poignantly combined in the hanging bronze sculpture, its dual identity always in flux as the work rotates slightly, suspended from a metal lever.

It appears as if no exhibition of works by Bourgeois can be complete without a soaring spider sculpture, and this show is no exception. A 1996 bronze spider stands at the far end of the villa’s historical meridian garden, where a series of bronze sculptures cast from the artist’s and Jerry Gorovoy’s interlocked hands are installed along its path. Louise Bourgeois’ fingers appear aged, marked by arthritis and years of work with materials of all kinds. Hands that have authored seminal artworks and paved paths for other women artists.

‘Louise Bourgeois: Unconscious Memories’ is on view at the Galleria Borghese, Rome until 15 September 2024. The exhibition is produced in collaboration with The Easton Foundation and the Academy of France - Villa Medici with Fendi as its main sponsor

galleriaborghese.beniculturali.it

Transportive and almost mystical, a new water mirror has been inaugurated at Rome's ancient Baths of Caracalla. The treasured site dating back to the 3rd century AD, is one of the eternal city's must-see attractions. It has now been further enriched with a bespoke spatial installation by Milan-based architect Hannes Peer – linking past and future, landscape and architecture, set against the backdrop of some of the world's most famous historical ruins. 

Hannes Peer's 'Water Mirror'

Hannes worked with the ancient site's director Mirella Serlorenzi, composing an ethereal body of water set against the old Roman baths' towering stone structures. At the heart of the concept was the desire to celebrate the complex's function and offer a glimpse of how it would have been like with water flowing through it chambers. 

How did the element animate the site? 'The creation of the body of water,' says Serlorenzi. 'It is the first element of an integral project aimed at restoring the perception of these places as they were in antiquity. Water, an element absent [from the site] for over a thousand years, returns in a decisive way but is respectful of the ruins: in a game of mirrors the natatio [swimming pool] emerges from the body of the baths and is positioned symmetrically in the gardens, duplicating the imposing caldarium [hot plunge pool].'

'A [clearly] contemporary gesture, it creates a sort of conceptual metaverse and reactivates [the site] through water games and sprays, which are a reminder of the ancient function of the Baths of Caracalla.'

The water mirror was created in collaboration with architect Paolo Bornello, featuring delicate fountains that spray water upwards and diffusing it into a mist that hints at the warmth inside the ancient Roman baths. 

Based on a master plan created under the supervision of Special Superintendent of Rome Daniela Porro and curated by Serlorenzi, in the next few years, a team comprising Peer, technical director of the bath site Maurizio Pinotti, Studio Bornelloworkshop, architect Andrea Grandi, and landscape architect Giuseppe Provasi will reveal further plans and interventions around the ancient baths' campus – watch this space.  

hannespeer.com

Arriving just in time for Salone del Mobile 2024, this is the appropriately named Alfa Romeo Milano, the revitalised Italian manufacturer’s new small car.

The Milano places great emphasis on sportiness, with one combustion option and two levels of electric power, including a 240hp equivalent Veloce model at the top-of-the-range. The Milano Elettrica, as it'll be known, is Alfa's first pure EV, pitched at a freshly exciting small EV segment and will go head-to-head with the likes of the Volvo EX30 and the forthcoming Cupra Tavascan.

Whilst the Volvo is all about simplicity, Alfa Romeo’s Centro Stile in Turin has gone all out to make the Milano a car that’s both intriguing to drive and to look at. Alfa claims a relatively low weight for the class, as well as a spacious cabin and capacious boot, with a dashboard that celebrates the marque’s sporting small-car heyday, the 1960s. The twin instrument binnacles hark directly back to cars like the GT Junior, whilst the inevitable touch screen is part of the dash, rather than a tablet stuck on top of it.

What’ll be crucial is the Milano’s driving dynamics. Compact and lithe are relative terms in a marketplace of ballooning scales and weights, but with a length of 4.17m and width of 1.78m, it’s definitely at the smaller end of what’s available. The projected range of 250 miles is the least we’ve come to expect for any small electric car and Alfa is being surprisingly cagey about the stats and abilities of the ICE version; bets are still being hedged even at this late stage of EV acceptance.

Visually, the Milano is a far more coherent realisation of Alfa Romeo’s core values than its current clutch of SUVs, the Tonale and Stelvio. The silhouette is helped by the rising beltline, kicked-up tail and large 20in wheels, complete with signature ‘Petali’ designs, while the front-end treatment features a new manifestation of the Alfa ‘face’, complete with a stylised radiator-like grille for the EV and a more conventional front end for the ICE.

It’s not retro by any stretch of the imagination, but there is a strangely familiar aura to the Milano’s stance and overall appearance, almost as if an early noughties concept car had been brought to life. The kicked up rear end – a Kamm tail, in aerodynamic speak – is a direct reference to Alfa Romeo’s Giulia TZ, a 1960s sports car bodied by Zagato, one of many styling houses to give visual expression to the Alfas of this period. 

The Alfa/Zagato relationship is still very much a thing, albeit on a far smaller scale, but cars like the Milano and the upcoming limited edition 33 Stradale show that a storied past is still the key to Alfa’s future. 

Orders for the Alfa Romeo Milano will open in Summer 2024, price tbc, AlfaRomeo.co.uk, @AlfaRomeo.co.uk

Hidden away on Rome’s prestigious Via del Corso lies Palazzo Roma, the latest addition to the city’s luxury hotel scene from Milan-based designer Giampiero Panepinto. Despite joining sister properties Hotel Maalot, Hotel Vilon, and the equally regal Palazzo Vilon, the Palazzo Roma project proved that building from the ground up in the Eternal City is getting more and more challenging.

The Shedir Collection, the savvy conglomerate and the brains behind the hotel, proposes restoring and upcycling as an ingenious solution to combat ancient Roman planning permissions.

Heritage meets contemporary luxury at Palazzo Roma

Like the group’s other hotels, Palazzo Roma focuses on ‘restoration over cultivation’, as general manager Rosario Rubino tells Wallpaper*. The construction method essentially entailed ‘building on top of another layer of history’ in the former regal palazzi of Rome’s former hedonistic empire to make a ‘lifestyle hotel that allows guests to experience the emotions of Rome in a new way’.

The aim was to redefine and reinterpret the building’s sense of place to inflict an even greater sense of history. ‘The starting point was to create a poetic relationship between past and present, between nostalgia and reality, recollection and imagination,’ Milan-based interior designer and maestro of the project, Giampiero Panepinto, tells me.

‘The property evokes the story of a noble Roman family that opens the doors of its home to guests. I tried to revive the atmosphere once breathed in the sumptuous rooms through art, music, literature and cinema, environments that retrace the chronicles and reports of the illustrious Rome.’

The result is something soulful and intimate. More verging on a museum than a home, Palazzo Roma features original frescoes, coffered ceilings, Versailles teak parquet flooring, and precisely 20 different marbles to conjure a sense of ‘value, elegance and unique Italian design’.

‘I wanted to tell the story of Rome in its entirety. Each piece brings its own experience, intersecting perfectly with each other, giving life to a precious and majestic work,’ he adds. And, truthfully, this notion gets materialised throughout – from infinite art pieces, frescoes and stuccoes, plaster casts and boiserie, to gilded ceilings restored by skilled artisans across Italy.

The Venetian-style flooring gives way to an array of nuances and shades that lurk into the large corridors that transform into a Wunderkammer, a backdrop to a collection of ancient portraits, photographs and art installations, all handpicked from vintage markets, and lots locally and beyond. The goal, as Panepinto notes, is to ‘merge past and present’, which ultimately ‘gives life to a unique contemporary Roman way of living’.

This attention to fluid luxe details flows across the hotel’s 39 rooms and suites. Each has its own floor plan, uniquely decorated in a varying palette of deep greens, reds, yellows and golds, alongside intarsia wood on the first-floor ceilings and fabric wallpapers on the second and third floors.

More eccentric digs come courtesy of the so-called Ladies’ Suite, which has nods to some of the most influential women figures of the last century, from the late Diana, Princess of Wales, to Madonna, Angela Merkel and Minnie Mouse.

Elsewhere, the Sala della Musica (The Music Room) is a vision of grand pianos, statues – in particular, the grand Euterpe, the goddess of music in the centre – and the eclectic Sala degli Orologi (the Watches Room) spearheaded by a mammoth collection of 150 watches decorated about the place.

The knockout centrepiece of the palazzo comes courtesy of the Cherubini Restaurant – think breathtaking floor-to-ceiling frescoes adorning the walls and mammoth mighty crystal chandeliers. Meanwhile, executive chef Federico Sartucci's menu matches the surroundings with Romano cuisine inspired by the city and the chef’s extensive travels across the globe.

palazzoroma.com

It was a Roman holiday for Brunello Cucinelli this past week, who swapped Solomeo – the medieval Umbrian hamlet that the cashmere giant has transformed into its Edenic headquarters – for the Eternal City to launch a new eyewear collection at Villa Aurelia, a Baroque residence on Rome’s Janiculum Hill.

First built in the late 17th century for Cardinal Girolamo Farnese – then the governor of Rome – the ornate home was later restored by an American heiress, Mrs Clara Jessup Heyland, who bequeathed it after her death to the American Academy in Rome. It proved a suitably dramatic backdrop: beyond the ornate residence are sprawling gardens replete with Roman pine trees and palms, its winding walkways leading to breathtaking vistas of the city in its entirety beyond. 

Brunello Cucinelli launches S/S 2024 eyewear collection in Rome

From these gardens emerged models wearing the brand’s new eyewear collection in an intimate runway show which took place just at the onset of evening (naturally, beyond the sunglasses, they were entirely clad in Brunello Cucinelli, as if on a particularly glamourous eveningtime wander). The collection marks the first full offering under the Brunello Cucinelli name; previously, the brand’s eyewear collection, first launched in 2021, was created alongside American eyewear label Oliver Peoples, which was founded in West Hollywood in the 1980s.

This new collection is created as part of a new deal with French-Italian eyewear conglomerate EssilorLuxottica, which owns Oliver Peoples alongside creating sunglasses for Chanel, Dolce & Gabbana, Prada, Burberry and Versace, among others. Cucinelli, who has placed artisanal Italian craftsmanship at the centre of his eponymous label since its founding in 1978, said the deal with EssilorLuxottica was signed in 2022 after a conversation with Luxottica founder Leonardo Del Vecchio who passed away in June of the same year.

’Leonardo Del Vecchio confessed to me one day: ”Dear Brunello, I don’t know whether the glasses we make are beautiful, but they’re certainly made in the best way in the world!’’ Today, admiring the excellent result of such formidable work and harmony, I think back to the words of that gracious, strong-willed, steadfast and kind man, who saw in his Agordo company what he liked to call “the beautiful factory”, a little like I do with Solomeo,’ says Cucinelli (called the ‘Hamlet of Harmony’, Solomeo has become a lifelong project in combining community, culture, education and production in a single place).

Working together with Francesco Milleri, chairman and CEO of EssilorLuxottica, the Brunello Cucinelli team created the collection which includes both sunglasses and opticals and largely centres on riffs on classic styles – from Wayfarers to Aviators. Encompassing what Cucinelli calls a ‘gentle luxury’, the glasses feature lavish materials – from made-in-Japan titanium frames to arms plated in 18-carat gold, while lenses are made in the Barberini factory in Silvi, Italy. Cashmere provides the inspiration for the collection’s palette, alongside the colours and reflections of Italian sunsets.

Adds Milleri: ‘The Brunello Cucinelli fashion house has succeeded in creating a new concept of luxury, fueled by respect for labour and its dignity.... We are bound by more than just an agreement: Brunello Cucinelli is not only a great entrepreneur but also a friend whom I respect and admire. The collection we helped to create under his and his family’s creative direction expresses all these values, perfectly combining technology and superior craftsmanship.’

Wallpaper* joined the festivities on Thursday evening, which after the runway show began with aperitivo on the the Villa Aurelia terrace before guests entered the Sala Aurelia for a typically lavish dinner – Cucinelli is known for his Italian hospitality – which comprised heaving tables of antipasti, signature Paccheri pasta and an array of desserts, from chocolate-encased ice creams to cannoli filled to order. The evening ended, in typically Italian style, with music and dancing, as the lights of Rome twinkled below.

‘Plato said: ”Beauty is the splendour of truth”,’ concluded Cucinelli. ’I wholeheartedly hope that our glasses, which are so true and beautiful, will please customers and achieve all the success they deserve.’

Brunello Cucinelli S/S 2024 eyewear is available now on the brand’s website and in boutiques worldwide. 

brunellocucinelli.com

It’s hard to be objective about Alfa Romeos. Historically, the company’s products have often appeared more emotive than practical, whether by accident or design, and the modern iteration of the company – one of many in the giant Stellantis portfolio – seems to have taken this baton and run with it.

For now, the emotive peak of aspirational driving is still performance, and preferably performance with internal combustion at its heart. With this in mind, Alfa Romeo has taken its twin flagships, the Stelvio Quadrifoglio and Giulia Quadrifoglio, and given them a final update before their genus is confined to the history books.

A quick word about ‘Quadrifoglio’. Meaning ‘four-leaf clover’, the symbol has been associated with Alfa Romeo’s racing division for over a century. The lucky motif first showed up on the flanks of works driver Ugo Sivocci’s 1923 RL. Sivocci went on to win that year’s Targa Florio road race in Sicily, and the emblem stuck, thanks to a combination of marketing, superstition and raised profile (Sivocci’s death at Monza a few months later – in a car that didn’t have the Quadrifoglio logo – only added to the mystique). 

From the 1970s onwards, the clover adorned Alfa’s more sporting road cars, which takes us up to the present day. First up, the Stelvio Quadrifoglio, which heads up the company’s brace of SUVs, the ‘regular’ Stelvio and the smaller Tonale. Updates are relatively light on the ground, but include new headlights, a greater emphasis on carbon fibre in the interior and a slight power bump.

Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio

Driving enthusiasts will be happy to hear that the Stelvio Quadrifoglio has reverted to an old school mechanical limited slip differential, a simpler, more predictable way of getting the power down across the rear axle. This is four-wheel drive, after all, and like all performance SUVs, it’s capable of putting the power to where it’s most needed for the most efficient cornering. Such nuances only really come out on track, and although we were able to sample the big SUV on an unrestricted bit of road, there wasn’t really enough space to safely explore the limits.

It's safe to assume that said limits exist far outside the orbit of most people’s skillsets, which brings us to the main issue with this car. Despite having driving dynamics and performance capabilities at the upper end of the spectrum, a rapid SUV is always going to run into compromise somewhere. At nearly 2,000kg, it’s immensely heavy, not especially economical, noisy and doesn’t really provide a massive space premium over a smaller, lower car. 

Alfa reckons that the next-gen Quadrifoglios will be able to eschew fossil fuels altogether – the brand aims to go zero emission by 2027. While the fast Stelvio is undeniably characterful, it’ll be interesting to see if these qualities can be carried over into the EV world.

Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio

A performance SUV will always be a boorish choice, whereas a sporting saloon car has a little bit more class (although that window is closing fast). The Giulia is a pretty car, a worthy successor to Alfa’s long history of making ordinary saloon cars and hatchbacks with more elegance and charm than their rivals. In Quadrifoglio form, it’s a little more brutish, but the essential grace of the design isn’t compromised.

When we tried the original Giulia Quadrifoglio, six years ago, the takeaway was that the car tried a little too hard to impose its raucous, race-bred character on the driver. If anything, the new version is even more OTT, but rivals have raced to catch up, upping the ante on the amount of power and performance customers want to feel at their fingertips every time they get into their car.

This might sound a little wearing – and it is – but the bottom line remains; if you don’t want every journey to be inevitably compromised by road conditions and the limits of the law, then you’d be better off in a tamer, less aggressive version of the car. As with the larger Stelvio, a twin turbocharged V6 provides the shove and the soundtrack, with no accommodation of any kind of hybrid assistance.

The cockpit is similarly moody and carbon-filled, although the lower driving position is a better fit for the power on hand. It feels more balanced and rewarding to drive, and even if you stay in the ‘N’ section of Alfa Romeo’s rather obtuse DNA drive mode system (Dynamic, Natural and Advanced), it has more than enough throttle response and fluidity to keep you fully engaged.

Last year’s unveiling of the stunning 33 Stradale demonstrated that Alfa Romeo knows that its shift into the electric era will need to be accompanied by drop-dead gorgeous design or else it’s a non-starter. Given that the 33 Stradale is priced at £1.7m, this pair of Quadrifoglios looks like a bargain. However, Alfa shouldn’t lose sight of the mass-market approach that has made it a viable alternative over the decades. 

Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio, £78,195, Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio, £87,195, Alfaromeo.co.uk, @Alfaromeouk

Of all the Italian car brands, Maserati has travelled the furthest from its original conception. Lamborghini and Ferrari still cater to the select coterie of moneyed enthusiasts that have always hankered after the marque, whilst Alfa Romeo, Fiat and Lancia have weathered decades of ups and downs to all land within the embrace of Stellantis. Today, Maserati sits alongside them, undoubtedly the most storied and aspirational name in the multinational’s line-up.

The Maserati of old was about tailor-making exotica for the jetsetters of an earlier era, with all the economic strife and uncertainty that accompanied shifting markets, demographics, fashions and crises amongst the super-rich. It was a glamorous but fraught existence. Ownership of the brand bounced around the industrial giants of Europe, including a 1970s stint with now label-mates Citroën, before a long association with Fiat, then Ferrari, then Alfa Romeo, ultimately set the company on a firmer footing for the 21st century.

The Maserati line-up was solid but relatively static throughout this period of industrial revolving doors, with cars like the original GranTurismo staying in production for 12 long years (2007 – 2019). Other traditional mainstays like the Quattroporte luxury saloon found their slender niche whittled ever slimmer as SUVs emerged to take over the mid- and upper-market segments. Into this fast-evaporating pool, Maserati also launched the Ghibli, an elegantly doomed rival for the likes of Jaguar, Audi and BMW (‘You’re Not Like Everyone Else,’ reads the strapline on the Ghibli website). 

Maserati Grecale Modena

The Grecale is the newest entry point to the brand, the most affordable Maserati on the market and the one that has – according to enthusiasts – finally divested the Maserati name of any lingering glamour from its glory years. In fact, if it wasn’t for the electrifying (but not electric) MC20 supercar, and the new second series GranTurismo (which does come as an EV), the Maserati of old would effectively be dead and buried. 

The Grecale is Maserati’s second SUV, a smaller sibling to the 2016 Levante. Currently available with two engines, a four-cylinder with mild hybrid assistance (the vanilla of hybrid systems) and a V6 in the high-performance Trofeo edition, it’ll be electrified in due course, thanks to the component and systems-sharing facilitated by being part of a vast manufacturing group. 

Like many Maseratis since the early 1960s, the Grecale name has been derived from a wind, this time one that blows north-easterly in the Mediterranean. We tried the mid-range Modena model, which offers 330hp from its four-cylinder engine (compared to 530hp in the V6). Despite being touted as a mid-size SUV, the Grecale is not svelte, at 4.8m long. It’s the kind of car you sit on, rather than in, giving you the sense of aloof alienation that seems to lure so many buyers to the SUV segment. It’s a world apart from the spindly elegance of Maseratis of old. Elements like the thick A-pillar and 2.1m width from mirror to mirror make it feel much less wieldy than the MC20, a genuine old-school, low-slung supercar that offers far better visibility.

Maserati describes the Grecale as the ‘everyday exceptional’, and it’s pitted against the likes of the Porsche Macan and the Range Rover Sport – family cars that retain the persistent magic of an enduring brand as a way of disguising their essential conformity. In this respect, MC20 owners and Grecale owners might as well exist on two different planets.

If you have the right combination of status anxiety and available space, then the Grecale shouldn’t disappoint. Even in Modena trim it’s a decent performer, although the hybrid system doesn’t do much to quench the big car’s thirst. Cabin fit and finish is high quality, with many essential functions located on the steering wheel; the twin touch screen displays are visually coherent if haptically challenging. 

As well as a digital instrument cluster, Maserati has retained its central high level clock display, originally a conventional quartz mechanism but now a screen that can display a compass and G-meter as well as digital and analogue clocks. There’s also a rousing sound system by Italian audio specialists Sonus faber.

Visually, the Grecale SUV is a collage of greatest hits from Maserati design, from taillights inspired by the Giugiaro-designed 3200 GT, to the over-sized Trident mascot on the grille, and the triple vents on the front flank and the neat headlights that appear to flow into the front wings. Inside, there’s a stitched graphic motif said to be inspired by the engineering-driven architecture of Pier Luigi Nervi. The rear screen is rakishly angled and the Trident reappears on the  C-pillar; the branding is verging on the unsubtle. 

Until recently, Maseratis made a virtue of their raucous engine noise; thankfully the Grecale Modena is more muted on that front. With electrification on the near horizon, it’ll be interesting to hear what sonic confection Maserati concocts to keep this particular brand pillar alive for a more noise conscious age.

At this point in time, the SUV exists as the ultimate automotive chameleon – it can be whatever you want it to be and blend seamlessly into any context. Sports car, family car, luxury car, utility car, electric car – the language of design and marketing can be made to accommodate them all, with enough physical space for designers to shift and tailor the package and presentation. Who is this particular car for? It’s certainly not for the traditional Maserati buyer, a select group that once included Sheikhs and rock stars and tended to favour drama over efficiency and impact over practicality.

The Levante leaves production this month, just as the new GranCabrio arrives to add further lustre to the brand’s history and luxury focus. Maserati’s challenge is to walk the line between building highly desirable supercars and ‘mass premium’ machines like the Grecale that’ll keep it on a secure footing. Ultimately, Grecale ownership might get you into the Maserati club, but it’s an institution that has changed beyond all recognition since it was originally founded. 

Maserati Grecale Modena, from £70,925, Maserati.com, @Maserati

Once upon a time, the art of crafting a bespoke body for car from scratch – otherwise known as coachbuilding – was the norm. Cars were rare, highly personal and prized possessions, and coachbuilders could create exceptional car bodies with their highly skilled teams of designers, panel beaters and engineers. The art peaked in the 1950s and 1960s, an age that gave way to creations like the Ferrari 250 GT California by Pininfarina, the Maserati A6GCS by Frua and the Alfa Romeo Disco Volante by Touring Superleggera.

While the move towards mass manufacturing saw the practice decline from the 1970s onwards, coachbuilding is back on the map, largely down to the work of companies like Ares Modena. Based in the heart of Italy’s fabled Motor Valley, Ares was founded in 2014 to bring highly personalised, coachbuilt creations to life, such as its latest, bespoke build – the Ares Wami Lalique Spyder. Behind the Spyder’s unusual name, lies the story of its creation – made in partnership with French crystal maker Lalique, the Wami takes its name from the man who created it, Ares executive chairman Waleed Al Ghafari. 

Ares Wami Lalique Spyder

‘As a young child, I was captivated by the cars driven by the film stars in the 1950s and 1960s, during that carefree and wonderful era known to all as La Dolce Vita,’ says Al Ghafari, glancing over at a cream-coloured, pre-production model at the company’s Centro Stile in Modena. ‘It was this admiration that led us to design and develop a car like no other – a retro-styled roadster that not only pays homage to some of the most beautiful cars ever created but one that incorporates remarkable artistry and craftsmanship from Lalique.’ 

Made in collaboration with Lalique, most of the 13 handcrafted crystals can be found inside the car, embedded into the dashboard, centre console and headrests, while four crystals sit proudly in the middle of the Spyder’s wire wheels. While it’s the first time Lalique has completely outfitted a production car, Lalique’s automotive pedigree is well founded, with the French company responsible for making the detailed crystal mascots that adorned many of Ettore Bugatti’s cars in the 1920s. 

Underneath its coachbuilt, carbon-fibre body lies a naturally aspirated 3.0-litre straight-six engine that puts out 231hp. While it’s no match for any modern-day supercar, the unit was chosen for its character and sound quality, with Al Ghafari opting for an engine that would be sympathetic to the car’s midcentury aesthetic.

On that note, there’s more than a hint of the Maserati A6GCS Frua about the Spyder, with the front grille designed to reference Al Ghafari’s favourite classic car. From the grille, an unbroken, sweeping shoulder line rounds off rear, where three stacked rear lights resemble that of the Aston Martin DB5 – another Italian-designed classic from the period.

‘Thanks to the perfect marriage between Lalique’s bespoke crystal design and Ares’ high level of excellence in car design and technology, the result of this collaboration is the ultimate luxury accessory,’ says Silvio Denz, Lalique’s chairman and CEO, at the reveal of the production car. ‘This very special collaboration perpetuates the work of René Lalique, whose iconic car mascots were some of his best-known pieces created in the Roaring Twenties.’

With just 12 examples of the Ares Wami Lalique Spyder planned for production, the company’s latest coachbuilt offering will be a rare sight. Priced just under £400,000 the Spyder comes in only a handful of colours, such as Amalfi Red or Mediterranean Light Blue, to ensure it remains true to the pastel palate of the midcentury cars it emulates. 

While the Ares Wami Lalique Spyder is a significant purchase, like most of the company’s creations, it’s guaranteed to stand out from the crowd, even in the supercar scenes of Monaco and Modena. With other projects well in the works, Ares’ commitment to coachbuilding is ensuring the art of crafting entirely bespoke automobiles survives well into the future.

AresDesign.com, @AresModena

Cristina Celestino has designed a Rome Apartment in the heart of the city's Parioli district. The interior design of the 550-square-metre penthouse nods to the building's Rationalist architecture while the décor of the residence is conceived to convey a calming atmosphere. 

It is a project that fits with Celestino's design approach, defined by exquisite colour compositions and well-considered, harmonious geometric compositions. 

'The architectural legacy of the building served as the foundation for the design concept,' reads a note from Celestino's studio describing the project. 'This residence, a synthesis of work and living spaces, is driven by the central theme of 'hygge,' creating an inviting atmosphere. The design approach revolves around capturing moments, perspectives, and the surrounding environment.'

The large open space is versatile, with abundant natural light flowing through the rooms and connecting the house with the large terrace and greenery surrounding the apartment. 

The interiors appear both elegant and restrained, with a colour palette of muted pastels and occasional accents, played on tones of grey, green and mauve, discreet metallic elements and textured wallcoverings. 

'Rather than relying on ornamental embellishments, geometric patterns, materials, and colour fields were purposefully selected to serve functional purposes within the space,' says the studio. 

Bespoke furniture creates a unifying aesthetic, enriched by design classics such as Mario Bellini's Camaleonda sofa by B&B Italia in grey. 'Following rationalist principles, the design introduces novel chromatic and material standards, presenting a new aesthetic. Dramatic effects take a backseat to pervasive elegance, expressed through organic lines, refined geometries, and numerous luxurious details, contributing to an overall majestic intervention that unfolds seamlessly from one room to the next.'

cristinacelestino.com

Vincent Van Duysen unveils ‘I.R.O. – Italian Rational Objects’, a new body of work for Roman gallery Giustini Stagetti. This collection also marks Van Duysen's debut working with a gallery, and the works will be on view in an eponymous exhibition until 12 January 2024. 

As the collection’s name suggests, Van Duysen – whose past collaborations span Zara Home dining furniture and Molteni&C’s outdoor furniture debut – looked at Italian rationalist architecture of the 1920s and 1940s, exploring 'the distinctive characteristics of its aesthetics, [reinterpreted] in a contemporary form through the process of synthesis and subtraction'.

The collection comprises seating, tables and lighting, each piece defined by lightness and sleek proportions. Simplicity lies at the core of the designs, with essential modules made of bent aluminium with a satin, pearl-grey finish. Split edges characterise each piece, offering a sense of balance between the designs' refined silhouettes and their industrial vocation.

This also nods to the work of Brazilian artist Lygia Clark, whose sculptural pieces were made of metal planes arranged in abstract geometric compositions. 'The invitation to the possibility of interaction with the artistic object projects [Van Duysen]'s work into a performative dimension, inviting us to reflect on the relationship between the audience and the artwork,' reads a note accompanying the collection.

It's a project that reflects Van Duysen's passionate approach to objects, where different influences converge into new design ideas that are both familiar and innovative in their aesthetic treatment of materials and form. 

‘I.R.O. – Italian Rational Objects’ by Vincent Van Duysen is on view until 12 January 2024

Giustini Stagetti
Via Gregoriana 41
Roma

vincentvanduysen.com
giustinistagetti.com

Federico Bellini’s tribute to the swinging Rome of the 1960s, La Dolce Vita, remains enduring – a portrayal not only of the Italian spirit, marked by charm, passion, and luminosity, but also a contemporary allegory of the Mediterranean ‘good life’.

Yet, the dolce vita philosophy isn’t confined to the past; it thrives in the Italian and global landscapes today. Not just the upper echelons of society portrayed in the film, but also the ‘infinite passion of life,’ as described by Fellini himself.

Assouline publishes ‘Dolce Vita’ by Cesare Cunaccia

In celebration of the six decades since Anita Ekberg’s iconic moment in the Trevi fountain, French luxury publisher Assouline presents Dolce Vita, a 320-page volume encompassing the beauty, style, and taste of the unrivalled Italian way of life.

Compiled by Italian writer, lecturer, curator, and journalist Cesare Cunaccia, Dolce Vita continues his Italian artistic legacy, building on his success with titles like Capri Dolce Vita (2019), Tuscany Marvel (2021), and Villeggiatura: Italian Summer Vacation (2022). With a lyrical introduction by Cunaccia himself and an exclusive curation of images, the title takes readers on a journey through Italy, offering a chance to explore the origins of the dolce vita motto.

‘The dolce vita is a concept that immediately takes us back to the Italy of the 1960s but that has traced an indelible outline and established an aesthetic and emotional filter which, to this day, remains impossible to surpass. Italy was an accumulation of beauty, art, music and nature,’ explains Cunaccia.

The pages of the book are populated with unforgettable characters such as Maria Callas, Sophia Loren, and Marcello Mastroianni, among others. Photographers like Ferdinando Scianna and Bruno Barbey perfectly captured the essence of the dolce vita in their images, documenting this quintessentially Italian spirit from Emilia-Romagna to Rome and Naples to Sicily.

‘Love, timeless beauty, the overlapping of past and present, centuries of incomparable art, Hellenistic and Roman ruins, the song of the sea, an ancient civilization and a spirit that’s quick-witted, poetic, sarcastic, controversial and fiercely individual, looking backwards to look to the future. Dolce vita means Italy,’ adds Cunaccia.

‘Dolce Vita’ by Cesare Cunaccia is available from Assouline.

The new Rome Edition opened its doors inside a former 1940s bank in the heart of the Eternal City. The hotel is the latest opening by hospitality entrepreneur Ian Schrager, who designed its spaces with elements by Patricia Urquiola, offering an intimate 91-room setting with a sophisticated aesthetic.

The Rome Edition by Patricia Urquiola

The Rome Edition is set within a fine example of Italian rationalism, a 1940s building by engineer Cesare Pascoletti and architect Marcello Piacentini. The building’s distinctive features include a central staircase of rare Cipollino marble sourced from Apuan caves, original lighting fixtures and architectural elements such as internal courtyards and sculptures.

The hotel is accessed via a garden that serves as a dining space as well as a piazza of sort, with the hotel ‘unfolding like acts in an opera’. The entrance to the building is designed as a jungle-like space featuring 400 plants including cascading jasmine over the facade, while an imposing bronze awning and lanterns transporting guests in a traditional Roman garden. 

The hotel’s lobby is defined by seven-metre high ceilings and travertine floors throughout, with bespoke seating and marble tables with floor lamps adding an intimate dimension to the imposing space. 

Among the hotel’s most striking features is its food and drinks offering, with hotel chef Paola Colucci looking after the Anima restaurant, three bars, a rooftop lounge, bar and pool, a show-kitchen restaurant, and dining across the courtyard. The self-taught Roman chef and founder of local restaurant Pianostrada has gathered an all-female team for the Rome Edition, offering a menu focused on traditional Italian dining with international influences. 

Continuing the hotel’s richly unique offering are the hotel’s bars: Punch Room and Jade Bar on the ground floor each bring a distinctive approach to mixology, while the seventh-floor The Roof features unobstructed views across the city, with highlights including the Pantheon and the Basilica of Sant’Andrea della Valle. The rooftop location also includes a travertine plunge pool. 

editionhotels.com/rome
patriciaurquiola.com

Bulgari Hotel Roma has finally opened its doors in the Eternal City. A homecoming for the fashion house, which was founded in Rome nearly 140 years ago, the new flagship is the ninth in Bulgari Hotels & Resorts' growing collection – following the opening of Bulgari Hotel Tokyo earlier in 2023 – and sets the bar for the brand’s ultra-luxury offering.

Located in the city’s Campo Marzio district, a short stroll from Via del Corso, the hotel is set adjacent to the Piazza Augusto Imperatore and the Mausoleum of Augustus – the founder of the Roman Empire – and occupies the former headquarters for the Italian Social Security Agency, an imposing rationalist building, designed by the architect Vittorio Ballio Morpurgo in the 1930s.

Step inside Bulgari Hotel Roma

Like the other Bulgari properties, the design has been spearheaded by Milan-based ACPV Architects (Antonio Citterio Patricia Viel), who have taken their cues from the history of the area to create a sumptuous offering that smartly balances the sober architecture of the building – and its original details like the mosaic façade, beautiful staircases and internal and external frescoes – while encapsulating the story of the Bulgari brand. 

On arrival, the impressive 5m-tall foyer is anchored by an original Roman sculpture of the emperor Augustus in Pentelic marble, which is illuminated by a large Barovier & Toso handblown Murano glass chandelier, which features 25 lamps. These are positioned to match the eight points of the star, set into the floor in antique black marble. Elsewhere on the ground floor, the public spaces are filled with thoughtful details, from the floor design in the cosy lounge, which nods to the 1930s parquet of the Bulgari store in via Condotti, to the original Gio Ponti trumpet vases, and the bookshelves in the library designed by Franco Albini for Cassina in 1956.

Raising the bar for luxury accommodation in the city, all of the 114 guest rooms – which either overlook the Piazza or the charming Via della Frezza – have been inspired by emperor Augustus’ love of marble as well as the Bulgari brand’s history of colour in its jewellery (it created a one-of-a-kind necklace to mark the Bulgari Roma's announcement back in 2020). This is most evident in the bathrooms, each of which is revealed in four palettes of coloured marble: yellow from the Middle East, red from Sudan, and green and white from Brazil. Each bathroom is elevated by a decorative mosaic medallion above the bath, which reproduces the designs of vintage Bulgari brooches, while the marble colour sets the tone for the rest of the room, extending throughout the furnishings including the bedheads and the 1962 Arco di Flos lamps by designer Achille Castiglioni. 

The prime spot, however, is the Bulgari Suite. Unfolding over 300 sq m, the sprawling retreat is lined with ten windows that overlook the Mausoleum of Augustus and shed beams of sunlight onto Flexform and Maxalto furnishings, silk wall fabrics by Rubelli, and an impressive bathtub carved from a single block of arabesque Corchia marble.

On the food front, the hotel has tapped Niko Romito of three Michelin-starred restaurant Reale, as well as Bulgari’s head of culinary experiences, to bring his vision to the hotel’s dining outlets. At Il Caffé, a space inspired by Belle Époque cafés with its antique mirrors, arabesque marble floors, wicker chairs, and long banquettes in burnt orange, the all-day menu is a feast of Italian classics, from eggplant parmigiana to vitello tonnato. 

At Il Ristorante on the fifth floor, against lush mahogany walls and splendid views of the mausoleum, Romito serves a menu of updated Italian dishes like veal Milanese and lobster linguine with red prawns. Finish this off with a nightcap in the Bulgari Bar, at the black marble bar, which is finished off with 60 handblown Murano glass twirls or, during the warmer months, head to La Terrazza , the rooftop terrace where 360-degree views of the city are enhanced by a swathe of over 200 enamel pots, which have been filled with a variety of local plants and flowers.

And then there’s the spa. Anchored by a 20m indoor pool lined with glistening mosaics by Bisazza – that nod to the motifs seen in Baths of Caracalla – the spa also has also eight treatment rooms, a fitness centre and a salon, which all come together to create the perfect retreat after a day spent exploring the streets of Rome. 

bulgarihotels.com 

In the heart of Rome, where history echoes in every cobblestone street and ancient monument, lies Palazzo delle Pietre, a hidden 15th-century palace that blends the past with the present. Restored by the Mazzi family to create a haven of unique and innovative living spaces, the hotel offers an exclusive experience to discerning travellers while preserving the warmth of a typical Italian family home.

Palazzo delle Pietre, Rome

Engineer Carlo Mazzi, with support from his wife Patrizia, daughter Barbara, and son Luca, embarked on an audacious project that harmoniously merges their love for antiques with their creative vision. 

At the core of this transformation lies a captivating collection of stone artefacts, curated over generations, dating back to various periods in Italian history, from the Roman Imperial era to the Renaissance.

Located on Via delle Coppelle, an ancient Roman thoroughfare, Palazzo delle Pietre boasts a rich history that stretches back to the time of the Terme Alessandrine ex-Neroniane (a Roman bath complex), constructed in 62 AD. This location, once owned by Vatican Arciconfraternita della SS Annunziata, has seen centuries of changes in ownership, finally finding its guardians in the Mazzi family in 2012.

The family's inspiration for Palazzo delle Pietre came from their extensive travels and stays in exclusive accommodations worldwide. They envisioned a residence that would cater to those who cherish travel, culture, and seek a private and beautiful environment away from home.

Through seven years of restoration works, Palazzo delle Pietre was transformed, retaining its historical and cultural significance. Within its walls, the past intertwines with the present through coloured inlays, reclaimed marble, antique parquet flooring, and fragments of sculptures. Inlaid friezes are juxtaposed with not only modern lighting by the likes of Artemide, furniture by De Padova and Alivar, and accessories by Kartell, but also by Altai carpets and luxurious linens by Rivolta and Carmignani that lend a sense of opulence to this marriage of contemporary design and antiquity, infusing the space with a distinctive and unique character.

As Barbara Mazzi Pensieroso, the Mazzi family's representative, eloquently puts it, 'Palazzo delle Pietre is us, our family, our personal history, our home. Every corner represents what we are: the love for nature, the passion for art, the attention to detail. With passion and dedication, we welcome our guests, ensuring they feel at home and experience unforgettable emotions.'

Palazzo delle Pietre blends tradition with innovation, offering travellers a distinctive and enriching experience that seamlessly marries the past and the present in the very heart of Rome, the eternal city.

Palazzo Delle Pietre
Via delle Coppelle, 23
00186 Roma

palazzodellepietre.com

In partnership with Aesop

Aesop’s new Rome store, designed by long-standing collaborator Jakob Sprenger, sees the Swiss-based Austrian architect apply the same creative ethos that defines his previous projects with the Australian skincare brand. The earthy, warm and woody, welcoming aesthetic of the stores is driven by the German principle of Gesamtkunstwerk – the notion of the interior as a 'total artwork', an all-embracing project that makes use of all or many art forms, materials, skills and disciplines. 

Inside the Aesop Via del Corso store

To celebrate the opening of Aesop Via del Corso and the launch of Wallpaper’s October 2023 Guest Editors’ issue, the two brands hosted a special event, including a panel discussion between Wallpaper* contributing editor Dal Chodha, Sprenger, and Jean-Philippe Bonnefoi, Head of Retail Design, Europe and Global Innovation at Aesop.

The discussion spanned Sprenger’s architectural vision for the store, the concept of ‘meaningful luxury’, and the future of physical retail space in an increasingly digital world. 

‘The notion of meaningful luxury adds charm, resonance, individuality and a real sense of place to the Aesop shopping experience,’ says the architect. ‘I approached the design of the Rome store with a fresh perspective on Italian architecture, always working with the narrative of the ever-present city and keeping its history alive.’

Aesop’s collaboration with Sprenger – still only 28 years old – continues the brand’s tradition of working with young and emerging talent. His designs for Aesop’s global stores acknowledge the influence of local culture, architectural principles and geometric order, along with customers’ needs. At the brand’s Salzburg, Austria location on Getreidegasse, for instance, situated within the 14th-century Gritzenbergerhaus close to Mozart’s birthplace, Sprenger created an interior that took inspiration from the city’s opulent Baroque architecture and rich connection to classical music.

The new Rome store, Aesop’s second in the Italian capital, is an ode to the Eternal City. The store occupies a two-storey corner residence on Via del Corso, immersed among labyrinthine pathways and narrow cobbled streets, its handsome interior bathed in the hues and textures of pervading Roman history. 

With its sequenced floor plan built around a majestic flight of stairs, the store is defined by its grand ceiling height, the ground floor divided into two enclaves that straddle the staircase. Sprenger has added shopfittings and compositions in walnut, brass, Travertino Romano, artisanal lime plaster, and burnt orange lacquer, the rooms exuding a nuanced sense of welcome. 

Felice Torelli’s 18th-century masterpiece Teseo Abbandona Arianna (‘Theseus Abandons Ariadne’) hangs at the heart of the store, reminding visitors of the heartaches of ancient mythology. Torelli’s brushwork is a lesson in tenderness, at home here in an environment where staff conduct their consultations with gentle care, guiding patrons through Aesop’s full range of formulations for skin, hair, body and home. 

Established in Melbourne in 1987, Aesop products put efficacy, vegan values and ethical sourcing to the fore, their complex, distinctive aromas a delightful, incidental treat. The story continues in Rome; a rhythm of nurture, olfactory pleasure and primary geometries playing out on the stair’s balustrade is an invitation to venture onward and upward. 

As visitors ascend, a chandelier inspired by fragments of antique columns found among the city’s archaeological sites illuminates the way to a landing transformed into an intimate suite dedicated to Aesop’s eaux de parfum. At the Fragrance Armoire, crafted from solid walnut timber, each aroma can be experienced and discerned or a chosen garment infused with a preferred scent, ready for a Roman passeggiata.  

Aesop.com

It seems you’re not an authentic sports car manufacturer these days unless you can tap into the market for seven-figure limited editions. Typically these involve delving deep into heritage or – if there’s no archive of famous nameplates and evocative forms – deploying some kind of radically OTT new technology, like electrification.

Alfa Romeo has chosen both options. The Italian manufacturer, now part of Stellantis, has long been considered a volume brand, albeit an eccentric one. The company’s current line-up is eminently sensible, with only the pretty Giulia saloon making a meaningful nod to a past stuffed full of glorious racecars and beautiful road cars. Its other models, the Tonale and Stelvio SUVs, are classic examples of Stellantis’ badge-engineering strategy, sharing platforms with other companies in the group. 

It's true that the past two decades have seen two stunning, if flawed, special series cars, the 8C Competizione of 2007 and the 4C of 2013. Different in concept (one front-engined, the other mid-engined), but united by the passionate flourish of their designs, these two cars kept the Alfa flag flying in the hearts of its many enthusiasts (as well as other diversions like the beautiful Alfa Romeo Giulia SWB Zagato).

Now we have the newly announced Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale. The last time this name graced a car it was in 1967, on the Franco Scaglione-bodied mid-engined machine that’s often described as one of the earliest supercars. Just 18 cars were made, no two models the same, over a two-year period, with several more 33 Stradale chassis being re-clad as concept cars in the weird and wonderful wedge era of design. 

Drama meets modernity in Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale

There’s no doubt that this new 33 Stradale is one of the most striking Alfas of the modern era, carrying over the proportions and drama of the original (gull-wing doors, for example), but with scrupulously modern, lightweight materials. 

Potential customers were actually approached a year ago, leading to the entire run of 33 cars being sold out long before the finished car was unveiled. With a price tag of around £1.7m each, Alfa is now moving in the same circles as Aston Martin, Pininfarina, and Bentley, to name just three of the manufacturers tugging at the heartstrings (and wallets) of the moneyed car collecting class. 

Each of the 33 Stradales will be handcrafted at Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera’s facility in Milan, with the expected level of customisation available on tap (although Alfa’s classic red racing livery, tan interior and gold wheels, shown here, is hard to beat). 

As always with such bespoke cars, every detail far exceeds what can be achieved at cost on a conventional production line. From the striking LED lights and the aviation-inspired switchgear in the centre console and on the ceiling to the Poltrona Frau leather seats, everything is tactile and rewarding.

The dichotomy of limited-edition super series sports cars such as this is that they’re invariably bought to appreciate, fiscally, rather than aesthetically, and as a result they rarely get to stretch anywhere approaching their carefully engineered limits. Will this be the case with the 33 Stradale? 

Interestingly, Alfa is offering customers the choice of a conventional twin-turbo V6 engine (with 620hp), or a pure electric version that promises over 750hp. Although the future owners have presumably made their choice, the company is not forthcoming with details of the split. Which powertrain got the most votes? 

The original 33 Stradale cost around six times the price of the average car in 1967. This new edition comes in at over 42 times the price of the oft-cited contemporary UK average figure of £40k. Alfa Romeo once built some the greatest affordable sports cars of all time. Although the 33 Stradale might look the part, it’s sadly more likely to be an instant museum exhibit and concours queen than something you’ll ever see on the road. 

AlfaRomeo.com

A new Electa bookstore at Rome's Colosseum is among the latest projects of Milan-based Migliore+Servetto. The design duo were tasked with creating a unifying language for the Italian publishing house’s stores, which is debuting at four locations in Rome as well as at a Venice outpost, in the spaces of the Biennale. 

Colosseum bookstores by Migliore+Servetto

The new bookshop concept for Electa took over four spaces of the Colosseum archaeological park: Colosseum First Gallery, Second Gallery, San Gregorio al Palatino and Clivo Palatino. While each space has a distinct identity, Migliore+Servetto's intervention features a unifying language comprising a light furniture system that brings simplicity and modularity to the displays. 

The design of the spaces adapts to the original architecture, with curved layouts following the Colosseum's structure and windows framing the ancient ruins. The system can be adapted to each space and responds to every display need. 

The design is defined by perforated metal sheets in bold colours, used for different functions. The concept follows five main elements, including wall displays and wall focus elements to spotlight specific products; double-sided central elements that divide and define the spaces and flow; thematic islands; and elements dedicated to tills and customer service functions.  

Each store is characterised by a specific colour, adding a sense of uniqueness to the different locations: sulphurous yellow for Colosseum First Gallery, scarlet red for Colosseum Second Gallery, green celadon for San Gregorio al Palatino, and yellow cadmium for Clivo Palatino.

The studio worked with Rimini-based art director Leonardo Sonnoli on bespoke graphics that nod to the site's history with a contemporary graphic approach.

'Beyond its function as a sales space, the bookshop thus becomes a narrative landscape,' reads a note from the designers. 'It's a place of discovery… stimulating cultural growth, through a valorisation of the wise offer of contents and a constant dialogue with the extraordinary architectural context that contains them.'

Electa bookshops at the Colosseum and Archaeological Area
Piazza del Colosseo
Rome

electa.it
architettimiglioreservetto.it

The Pininfarina Battista is a ready-made icon. Unveiled in 2019 and delivered to customers from October 2022, the electric ‘hyper GT’  is both feted by the industry’s design greats (it won the Design Award at the 2021 Concorso d'Eleganza in Lake Como) and beloved by its wealthy owners (data suggests every car delivered has been driven at least 1,000 miles – no mean feat in an age of cars as shrink-wrapped investment vehicles). 

Under the guidance of Automobili Pininfarina’s new CEO Paolo Dellachà, in the job just six months, the Italian manufacturer is taking a leaf from Bugatti’s playbook and spinning its only model off into myriad special editions. The Pininfarina Battista Edizione Nino Farina is a bit of a mouthful, as well as being the second limited series model of the car after the Battista Anniversario. Both will be made in an edition of five, out of the total of 150 Battistas the company plans to build before 2028. 

Pininfarina Battista Edizione Nino Farina

Battista ‘Pinin’ Farina established ‘Carrozzeria Pinin Farina‘ in 1928. Pininfarina’s long, long history of car design was the impetus behind the move into manufacturing, with parent company (Mahindra) reasoning that such rich heritage would make the Pininfarina name instantly desirable amongst a certain class of ultra-wealthy car collector. The company’s greatest hits are long and starry, including some of the finest Ferraris ever built, such as the 250 Europa GT, Dino and Testarossa, as well as highly praised models for Alfa Romeo, Lancia, Maserati, Fiat, Volvo, and Peugeot. Automobili Pininfarina was spun off from the main consultancy in 2018. 

Giuseppe ‘Nino’ Farina was Pinin’s nephew. Born in 1906, he went on to become a pioneering racing driver, winning the title of Italian Champion from 1937 to 1939. Nino was also the first winner of the inaugural World Championship of Drivers, the precursor to today’s Formula One World Drivers’ Championship, in 1950 at the wheel of an Alfa Romeo. He went on to drive for Ferrari, once described by Enzo Ferrari as driving ‘as if the devil was behind him and angels ahead’. He died, in a car accident, in 1966. 

Such a storied career is a gift that no car maker could overlook. This new edition honours the racer’s life, with a livery that evokes the racing colours of his era (without treading on Ferrari’s toes). The car features bespoke Rosso Nino paint with contrasting stripes in Bianco Sestriere and Iconica Blu. New Glorioso Gold wheels and unique hand-painted ‘01’ side graphic are joined by a two-tone interior theme.  

Appropriately enough, all Battistas deliver performance that’ll best a Formula One car, old or new. The car will rocket to 60mph in 1.79 seconds, reaching double that speed in just 4.49 seconds. It also handles deftly, is docile enough to be used everyday and has a range of nearly 300 miles. Proudly handcrafted in Italy (Cambiano, to be precise), it is the most powerful Italian production car made to date (a fact that must rile Ferrari no end). 

The company’s chief design officer Dave Amantea explained how each car typically has between €400,00 and €1.1m worth of customisation work on top of the €2m-plus purchase price, and emphasises just how important individuality is to the collector. Amantea also notes that the battery-powered Battista is pushing the hypercar market in new directions, inviting engagement from those who care little about traditional engineering. Even so, the company has instilled the Battista with a sound of its own that rumbles away on start-up like an approaching helicopter. 

Pininfarina Battista Edizione Nino Farina, design-editions.automobili-pininfarina.com

La Posta Vecchia Hotel has played host to the titans of wealth and power and now, thanks to a new refurbishment, it can also play host to you. 

Located 40 minutes outside Rome, along the glittering Tyrrhenian Sea, La Posta Vecchia Hotel is on the site of a seaside resort beloved by Roman emperors; the Renaissance palazzo has been home to the noble Orsini family, and 20th-century industrialist Jean Paul Getty. 

In 1990, the businessman Roberto Sciò opened the villa to the public as a hotel and now his daughter Marie-Louise has taken up the mantle and has overseen a year-long refurbishment that has culminated in La Posta Vecchia’s grand reopening in May 2023. 

Italy is, of course, filled with many dazzling and grand palazzos, but La Posta Vecchia is in a league of its own, both because of its exceptional beauty and its exceptional history.

When Getty was renovating the palace in the 1960s, he unearthed a series of ruins and artefacts from the ancient Roman city of Alsium, which historians traced to the second century BC. The findings included ancient walls, colourful mosaics, African and Greek marbles and an array of plates, and amphorae, all of which are now within a private museum in the cellar that guests can visit when they stay. In addition, the interiors are also filled with an astounding collection of Italian art from the Renaissance onwards, curated by art historian Federico Zeri for Getty.

Each of the 19 rooms is unique, but all mix the glamour of Renaissance opulence with the comfort of modern amenities. Downstairs on the terrace is The Cesar restaurant, where guests can dine on exceptional Italian cuisine while looking out over the sea. To enhance your stay, there is also a spa with a stone indoor pool and treatments using Santa Maria Novella products. 

postavecchiahotel.com

Michael Mauer, vice president of style at Porsche, has overseen the creation of a new Porsche badge, the latest iteration of a longstanding and ever-evolving symbol of sports motoring. 

Ferrari isn’t the only company to have a rampant horse on its badge. Although the Italian stallion was originally associated with 1930s racing Alfa Romeo, Enzo Ferrari’s former team, it has been associated with Ferrari’s own cars since the first Ferrari 125 S of 1947. 

The following year, a new sports car maker emerged from the ashes of post-war German industry. Porsche’s badge has more in common with traditional heraldry than its Italian counterpart. The horse comes from the flag of the city of Stuttgart (‘stud garden’, a name which gives away its horse-breeding history). The first badge bore the name of the company and its hometown, with the black and red colouring and deer-antler motif lifted directly from the shield of Württemberg-Hohenzollern, the state founded in 1945 and eventually becoming part of Baden-Württemberg.

This clearly Germanic symbol was partly due to influential car importer Max Hoffman, the man who brought Porsche to the USA. Hoffman wanted the new 356 sports car to better signal its origins, and the crest was drawn up in 1952, four years after the car debuted. 

The draughtsman behind the logo was one Franz Xaver Reimspiess, an Austrian engineer responsible for much of the mechanical innovation behind the Volkswagen Beetle. Reimspiess was also rumoured to have designed the Volkswagen logo in 1936.  

The new crest maintains the form and dimensions of the original but tightens up every element. ‘The “75 years of Porsche sports cars” anniversary was the occasion for us to fundamentally rework this trademark,’ Mauer says, ‘We reinterpreted historical characteristics and combined them with innovative design elements such as a honeycomb structure and brushed metal.’

It's taken three years to shape this badge, both as a three-dimensional physical object to adorn the cars and as a 2D logotype that’ll been seen around the world both digitally and in printed matter. The process was overseen by Joachim Paetzel, specialist for colour and trim at the brand. 

Every facet is different, included a softer coloured gold, a finely tapered bevel around the edge, the application of clear brushed metal surfaces behind the antlers and a new 3D honeycomb pattern for the red stripes. The word ‘Stuttgart’ now uses Porsche’s own typeface and the horse itself has been redrawn to be bolder and less stylised.

The original crest was given a refresh in 1954, then again in 1963, 1973, 1994, 2008 and finally in 2014. This new badge will make its debut on the new Porsche Panamera, due at the end of 2023. The company keeps historic badges in production, however, as the Porsche Classic restoration service needs to have access to every conceivable part. With 75 years of heritage to preserve, plus high hopes of at least another 75 to come, brand identities are precious enough to need continuous care.

Porsche.com

The word ‘prolific’ is often thrown around, but Arnaldo Pomodoro, who turns 97 this month, could outshine most artists when it comes to the scope and versatility of his creative output. He has exhibited on five continents, masterminded staggering environmental and architectural works, created set and costume designs for a panoply of theatrical works, and currently has more than 230 of his works on view in public collections and spaces around the globe. 

Born in Montefeltro in 1926 and based in Milan since 1954, Pomodoro began his career as a restoration consultant in Pesaro while studying stage design and working
as a jeweller. In the following decades, he proved his creative versatility; as an artist, educator, documenter of global culture, and sculpture pioneer. He executed his first public commission in the early 1960s when he created a relief for the façade of Cologne’s adult education centre on Josef-Haubrich-Hof.

Soon after, he shifted gears to create the sculptures for which he is best known: geometric spheres, discs, pyramids, cones, columns and cubes. Mostly rendered in burnished bronze, these early works are evocative of futuristic cities containing fossil-like bones of ancient civilisations, rupturing with the chaos of history, but perfectly contained. In 1966, he began experimenting with large-scale sculpture, creating Sfera Grande for the Montreal Expo. The piece now sits outside the Palazzo della Farnesina in Rome, the same city where the artist is currently on show at the Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana, the Roman HQ of luxury fashion house Fendi. 

Pomodoro and Fendi first crossed paths in 2013 when the house established its Milan HQ at Via Solari 35, a vast industrial space that served as the Fondazione Arnaldo Pomodoro from 2005-2012. There, Fendi continues to host the immersive Ingresso nel Labirinto, one of Pomodoro’s most significant works, and open to public view.

The decade-long partnership between Pomodoro and Fendi is now being made concrete in the exhibition ‘Il Grande Teatro delle Civiltà’, curated by Lorenzo Respi and Andrea Viliani, in collaboration with the Fondazione Arnaldo Pomodoro. It spans 70 years of the artist’s practice, and illustrates his versatility at the intersection of fine art, performing arts and design. 

‘With Pomodoro, we share a veritable passion for creativity, natural materials,
and artisanal savoir-faire,’ says Fendi CEO Serge Brunschwig. ‘His signature sculptures are a constant reminder of his powerful contribution to the art history of the 20th and 21st century. Through the exhibition, we celebrate Pomodoro’s work as a universal language and constant source of inspiration, thus reinforcing Fendi’s bond with the Italian artistic heritage and cultural patrimony.’ 

But instead of Pomodoro’s greatest hits, notably his hyper-polished bronze spheres erupting with angular shards, the exhibition sheds an alternative light on the artist’s practice and, in turn, gets to its soul. Archaic, modern, or even fantastical, the tangled matrix of codes, signs and ‘writings’ in these sculptures nod to human interference in nature, creating instead something altogether more unworldly. The show emphasises the inner workings of Pomodoro’s universe, which the curators describe as an ‘exhibition within an exhibition’, comprising drawings, photographs and documents, many never seen before. ‘The exhibition is intended to be a great autobiographical theatre – real and of the mind, historical and imaginative at the same time,’ say Respi and Viliani.

The exhibition begins outside, where Pomodoro has placed Forme del Mito (1983) – an ensemble of four sculptures originally created for artist Emilio Isgrò’s theatrical performances inspired by Aeschylus’ Orestes – at the Palazzo della Civiltà’s four corners. The drama continues in the entrance hall with two examples of the artist’s costume designs, made from robust copper-plated fibreglass fused with softer and more ephemeral materials like raffia and fabric: the first was created for Christopher Marlowe’s Dido, Queen of Carthage (staged in Gibellina in 1986), the second for Igor Stravinsky’s Oedipus Rex (performed in Siena in 1988). Pomodoro brings the legendary tales of Dido and Oedipus to life, drawing on ancient Greek iconography and traditional African and Asian craft techniques, as well as nodding to the building’s current use as the HQ of one of the world’s most prestigious fashion houses.

Further in, visitors find two works staged in counterpoint on the ground floor: Le Battaglie (1995), based on Paolo Uccello’s Renaissance masterpiece, The Battle of San Romano, is a black sculpture embedded with an abstraction of angular forms, including teeth, arrows and spears, while Movimento in Piena Aria e Nel Profondo (1996-1997) is a monumental double-curved white sculpture resembling an otherworldly archaeological dig. Up on the palazzo’s third floor, the cuttlefish shape of Osso di Seppia (2011-2021) nods to Pomodoro’s earliest sculptures,
which would see the artist scratch marks into cuttlebone as casts for jewellery.

As part of the collaboration with Fendi, the house also invited Pomodoro to create
a one-off edition of its Peekaboo bag, which will be on display for the duration of the show. In 2019, to mark its tenth birthday, Fendi began inviting notable figures – among them, Tracey Emin, Zaha Hadid and Sabine Marcelis – to put their stamp on a blank version of the iconic bag. Pomodoro’s take features shimmering bronze-coloured canvas with protruding barbs. ‘I wanted to place the function of use of the bag in discussion and transform it into something mysterious and visionary,’ says Pomodoro. ‘A medieval shield? A mythological animal covered in sharp spines? An exotic flower with long pistils?’ 

Like his take on the Peekaboo, ‘Il Grande Teatro delle Civiltà’ is a testament to a career whose foundations are an unwavering commitment to a distinctive sculptural language. This is Pomodoro’s theatre: excavating, preserving and reinterpreting what has already been or might have been, in an effort to map what might be ahead. 

This article previews a feature in the July 2023 issue of Wallpaper*, on newsstands and available to subscribers from 8 June. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today

‘Il Grande Teatro delle Civiltà’ is on show until 1 October at the Palazzo della Civiltà
Italiana, Rome, arnaldopomodoro.it, fondazionearnaldopomodoro.it, fendi.com

Bridget Riley has created her first ceiling painting for the British School at Rome (BSR). The artist, best known for her murals and wall paintings, has created her vast new work in the BSR’s foyer, stretching across the four barrel vaults of the ceiling.

‘I would like to thank the British School at Rome for its invitation to paint the vaulting barrels of Edwin Lutyens’ beautiful ceiling,’ Riley says. ‘It was the beginning of an exhilarating visual chase. Exhilarating but not without hazard. Through many pleasurable challenges, encouraged by [chair of the BSR council] Mark Getty’s enthusiasm, I pursued this perceptual adventure and played my “colour acoustics” with great delight. Looking up, the colour of the skies offers a glimpse of nature in her most promising and serene mood.’

Riley revisits her Egyptian palette – inspired by the bold colours of Egyptian tomb paintings – for the work, which cements her existing ties with the BSR. As well as displaying an exhibition of her own work there in 1996, Riley has since endowed The Bridget Riley Fellowship which gives young painters the chance to develop their work over a six-month period at the BSR.

The BSR, as the largest British centre of interdisciplinary research in Europe, makes a natural home for Riley’s work. ‘We are thrilled that Bridget Riley has developed, executed, and given this wall painting to the BSR,’ adds chair of the BSR Council, Mark Getty. ‘It will adorn our entrance for decades to come, and pronounce clearly the strong relationship which exists between British and Commonwealth artists and thinkers, and the Roman and Italian world.’

bsr.ac.uk

The grand Villa Medici sits in a privileged position on the top of the Pincian Hill in the centre of Rome. From its arched entranceway, leering over the cascade of white marble that makes up the Spanish Steps, the entirety of the city unfolds at your feet. Built in the 16th century, it was once the private home of Cardinal Ferdinando de Medici. Constructed in the Mannerist style, its frescoed walls and ceilings – rendered by some of the Renaissance’s most revered names – make up some of the most handsome decoration in the ancient capital. And now, thanks to India Mahdavi (Wallpaper’s Designer of the Year 2023), its rooms have been updated with a colourful and contemporary spin.

Re-enchanting Villa Medici: from Fendi to India Mahdavi

Since 1803, the villa has been the base of the French Academy, a home-away-from-home for artists, artisans and historians to stay and soak up the culture of the Italian capital. In 2022, the institute partnered with Mobilier National, which oversees the conservation and restoration of historic French furniture, to slowly reinvent the rooms utilised by their residency programme, beginning with a makeover of six reception salons in December by designer Kim Jones and Silvia Venturini Fendi. 

The latest ‘re-enchantment’, unveiled in April 2023, saw Mahdavi animate six new spaces, including Cardinal Ferdinando de Medici’s private apartments and three rooms newly named in tribute to the villa’s most noteworthy guests, the Debussy Room, the Galileo Room and a salon named for composer Lili Boulanger.

To realise the fresh re-styling, Mahdavi called on artisans across France and Italy to fashion furniture, craft tiles and weave textiles and tapestries for the occasion. In the Debussy and Galileo bedrooms, for instance, the master craftspeople at Maison Craman-Lagarde, known for their skill in marquetry, translated a colour-block pattern by Mahdavi into a four poster bed and matching shelves. 

Meanwhile, in Medici’s apartments, carpet-maker Manufacture Robert Four produced a geometric green and burgundy rug Mahdavi says was inspired by the view of the villa’s sprawling garden just outside the window, around which she clustered her Bishop stools like pieces on a chessboard.

Elsewhere, the interventions were decidedly light-touch: a flash of colour in the form of new upholstery on pieces from the Mobilier National’s archive, including a sofa and armchairs by Jean-Albert Lesage in saffron-toned Dedar fabric; restoring the wall decorations by the Modernist painter Balthus, a former director of the academy; and the addition of new paintings and artworks, including portraits of Boulanger and other notable guests.

Mahdavi’s makeover marks the second of three chapters of the ‘Re-enchanting Villa Medici’ project, the last of which will be unveiled later this year after an open call for projects.

villamedici.it
india-mahdavi.com

This is the Alfa Romeo Giulia SWB Zagato, a cracking reminder of what the company is capable of and a fulsome throwback to the heady partnerships of the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. This was the era of coachbuilding masterpieces, when the grand Italian styling houses found it in themselves to improve upon the already beautiful creations of companies like Ferrari, Alfa, and Lancia.

Sad to report, but this particular car is set to remain a one-off. Built for a German collector, the car broke cover just before Christmas 2022, an early gift for all those who still hold a candle for this golden era of car design. 

The idea for the Giulia SWB originated in 2021, the year Zagato celebrated a century of collaboration with Alfa Romeo. A commemorative car was planned, drawing on Alfa’s current Giulia and Stelvio models, but in the form of a two-door coupé – a niche that is sadly absent from today's Alfa Romeo line-up.

The new Zagato is based on the acclaimed Giulia Quadrifoglio performance model, with a shortened wheelbase (hence SWB) and bodywork formed from carbon fibre. The designated customer is a longstanding Alfaholic, as well as a fan of Aston Martin’s ongoing partnership with Zagato. His collection includes the Alfa Romeo SZ ('Sprint Zagato'), a quintessentially 1990s machine that took Alfa’s 75 saloon and transformed it into a brutish, stubby pocket supercar.

Visually, the SWB incorporates many key Zagato design elements, from the pronounced forward-focused stance to the trademark ‘double bubble’ roof, evolved from the requirement for early closed racing cars to have space for crash helmeted drivers.

Zagato’s team worked closely with Alejandro Mesonero, vice president of Alfa Romeo Design, but all development and production were carried out in-house. The famous Alfa grille is low to the ground, flanked by a new iteration of Alfa’s current 3+3 headlight identity. At the rear, the abruptly cut-off tail is another tell-tale signature of the brand.

Zagatos have always had an awkward, almost gawky edge, evidenced not only by the Alfa Romeo SZ, but also by earlier models like the GT 1300 Junior Zagato from 1969 and the TZ3 Stradale created for Alfa’s own centenary in 2011. Fittingly, the one-off Giulia SWB Zagato is a convincing heir to a century of extravagant and individualistic automotive design.

We’ve often lamented that Alfa Romeo’s contemporary soul is somewhat lacking, condemned to wander the highways and byways of nostalgia whilst the famous badge ends up plastered all over unworthy SUVs. Perhaps another Zagato collaboration could help rekindle Alfa’s flame? 

AlfaRomeo.co.uk

Zagato.it

A makeover of Rome's French Academy at Villa Medici was unveiled by Fendi, in collaboration with Mobilier National. The Roman house worked on six salons within the 16th-century palazzo, creating a series of spaces 'that will encourage creativity and contemporary design'.

The project was led by Fendi's artistic director of couture and womenswear, Kim Jones, and Silvia Venturini Fendi, artistic director of accessories and menswear, and features a union between contemporary design and illustrious heritage. 'This makes Villa Medici a place that perpetuates exceptional know-how while creating the heritage of tomorrow,' reads a note from Fendi. 

This approach is in keeping with Villa Medici architectural and aesthetic history: the multi-layered building was first erected during the Renaissance, and was adapted and tweaked over the centuries, up until the 1960s and 1970s, when then-director, painter Balthus, gave the villa's gardens a new look, and the 2000s, when scenographer Richard Peduzzi gave some of its spaces a modern interpretation. 

Fendi and Villa Medici: heritage and contemporary design 

Jones and Venturini Fendi chose colour as the unifying element for the development of Villa Medici, drawing from the Fendi architecture department to interpret the Salons through a combination of interior design and conservation-restoration. Each room's palette was influenced by the existing wall paintings, with custom-designed hand-knotted carpets made from recycled French wool and featuring graduate shades.

'The project was inspired by the desire to create a dialogue between the existing heritage and contemporary designs,' continues the company's note.

Within the rooms are specially commissioned pieces by designers including Chiara Andreatti, Noé Duchaufour-Lawrance, Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec and Toan Nguyen. The furniture designs are informed by the historical environments: for instance, Duchaufour-Lawrance's tables for the Salon des Pensionnaires, Salon de Lecture and Salon Bleu designs are informed by Roman architecture and textures.

The spaces also feature the Virgola chairs and Welcome sofa by Andreatti, as well as pieces she designed for Fendi Casa's latest furniture collection. More pieces from the Fendi Casa collections include Nguyen's  Sandia sofa, rendered for the occasion in a warm orange hue and placed in the Petit Salon. Elsewhere, the Bouroullec's Belleville Armchairs for Vitra take centre stage within the grandiose spaces of the Villa Medici Grand Salon.

The collaboration between Fendi and Mobilier National resulted in a series of artistic masterpieces being dotted around the palazzo: throughout its rooms are modern and contemporary artworks by the likes of Louise Bourgeois, Sheila Hicks, Aurelie Nemours, Alicia Penalba and Sonia Delaunay, as well as Raoul Ubac, Edoardo Chillida and Patrick Corillon. Special attention was also paid to sound, with the installation is a series of customised acoustic panels concealed behind the tapestries, by Devialet.

Concludes the company's note: 'Fendi endorses its commitment towards the preservation of the artistic patrimony through this exclusive partnership and patronage, fuelling the Maison’s ever-lasting connection with the Eternal City, throughout the whole initiative, a major source of inspiration.

fendi.com

Shown at the American Academy in Rome, Iwan Baan’s images are presented simply; there are large, blown-up depictions of aerial-view cityscapes and hoards of tourists at famous landmarks. The architectural photography exhibition, ‘From Las Vegas to Rome’ is layered and enticing, and offers candid frames and fascinating vistas that reveal a dialogue between the two cities. 

Views of Las Vegas are punctuated by colourful towers and commercial images, while the natural form of the river Tiber cuts through Rome’s swathes of historic white stone buildings, sunlit and bathed in an orange glow.

Echoes of one city are found in the other. A Roman column copy lies on its side in a Las Vegas interior, a bench carved into it and a charging port embedded in its angled surface. Meanwhile, a picture of the Trevi fountain’s sculptures, with rucksack-clad tourists crowding in the foreground, mirrors an image of similar white stone sculptures in Las Vegas. 

Baan’s show takes inspiration from the legacy of Learning From Las Vegas, the seminal 1972 book by Denise Scott Brown and Robert Venturi, which studied the innovations of a newly built city, both in terms of culture and physical space.

Here, in a photographic expression of this approach, the exhibition’s curator Lindsay Harris and Baan consider the impact of Brown and Venturi’s contemplation and apply it to the two cities, reflecting on the constant evolution of modern-day ideas on architecture and culture. 

iwan.com

‘From Las Vegas to Rome: Photographs by Iwan Baan’ is at the American Academy in Rome, until 27 November 2022

Hotel Mediterraneo, located just steps from Rome’s colossal central station Roma Termini, is to this day one of the tallest structures in the centre of the Italian capital, at more than 50m. Built in the interwar period and completed at the height of the Second World War, it was a project envisioned for a future that didn’t happen.

The area around the central station was undergoing a major transformation in the 1930s, when Benito Mussolini was planning the 1942 World Expo of Rome, which was meant to mark the 20th anniversary of fascism in Italy. Mussolini had assigned his chief architect Marcello Piacentini to ensure that Roma Termini would become the largest train station in Europe – an effort to showcase the revival of the Roman Empire.

Hotelier Maurizio Bettoja (1891 – 1964) and his family were already the owners of several hotels near Roma Termini. With the prospect of the World Expo being held in their city, they seized the opportunity to build a new state-of-the-art hotel on the grounds of the more modest Hotel Lago Maggiore. Bettoja, a well-travelled man who had spent a lot of his time in New York, wanted to bring a piece of the New World to Rome. He was already known as a bon viveur and a formidable host; thanks to him, the family’s Hotel Massimo d’Azeglio from 1878 had become a preferred spot for the Roman bourgeoisie, who liked to mingle with travellers from overseas. With the Hotel Mediterraneo, he had the chance to design the cosmopolitan hotel of his dreams from the ground up.

Located right at the centre of a fascist masterplan, Maurizio Bettoja’s project soon became entangled with the fascist government’s agenda. While they granted him a special licence that meant his hotel could be taller than other buildings in the area – which were not permitted to surpass five storeys – he was pressured to change its name. In nationalist ideology, the intended ‘Hotel Oceanico’ and its allusions to New York did not sound Roman enough – and so Bettoja unwillingly changed it to Mediterraneo.

With the new permits and requirements in hand, Bettoja commissioned the Rationalist local architect Mario Loreti to draw up the plans. Loreti, who is today virtually forgotten, was at the time a prominent figure. As someone who had completed a string of impressive commissions, such as the Piazza Monte Grappa in Varese, he was a suitable candidate to please both Bettoja and the government.

The 11-storey Hotel Mediterraneo is dominated by an austere grid, finished in Roman travertine and punctuated by square windows. It bears some resemblance to the upper band of the Colosseum; a typical trait of the Rationalist language, which tends to reference details from Ancient Roman monuments. But at the same time, standing on the busy Via Cavour today, the hotel is clearly looking towards Manhattan, and one feels only a heartbeat away from a transatlantic journey.

In fact, the ground floor interior is an unlikely union between Bettoja’s outward-looking excitement and the introspection of a place intent on its own history; it is glamorous, but met with a markedly masculine severity. The seamless lines of furniture designed by Gio Ponti and Gustavo Pulitzer Finale are confronted by the busts of Roman Emperors.

Facing the reception are two tall columns; each is a guest lift, which feels as innovative now as it must have done in 1942. The Mediterraneo was also the first hotel in Italy to have air conditioning. Above each lift door is a golden mosaic mural designed by Achille Capizzano and made by Franco d’Urso. One depicts the Departure of Ulysses from the Land of the Phaeacians, the other his Return.

The central lobby hall is lined by wall sconces designed by Gio Ponti. In the centre is a large fireplace in green marble, lined with wood marquetry that displays the Punishment of Prometheus. To the right of the main hall is the bar, most likely one of the best-kept art deco bars in Europe; it’s a style that so often has been destroyed and of which so few complete interiors survive. The bar canopy is lined from the inside with a blue glass mosaic-studded sky that floats above the counter, cantilevering off a mirror wall. This maritime, ocean-liner-like flair evokes the feeling of departure into a new future – but one that seems weighed down by a giant rock; the heavy marble staircase won’t let this ship travel far.

When the works were completed in 1942, the Second World War was raging all over Europe, and the great ocean liners of the decade were converted into military vessels. Thousands of Europeans were fleeing to the US and German U-boats were sinking ships in the Atlantic. The World Exhibition of 1942, needless to say, never took place. International travel and tourism had come to a halt, Roma Termini was only half-finished and there would be no lavish opening party for the Hotel Mediterraneo. The first guests that stayed at the hotel were German army officers, during the occupation, succeeded by American forces following the liberation of Rome in 1944. The future this hotel was planned to inhabit, seemed to never have happened.

Today, the hotel is managed – and meticulously maintained – by Maurizio Bettoja (Junior; 5th generation) and his family. When the coronavirus pandemic brought Rome to a complete standstill once again, Hotel Mediterraneo was among the very few hotels that remained largely open. Its location so close to the train station has shifted it slightly out of focus for many visitors to Rome. But with the growing interest in 1930s Italian architecture, as seen in the rediscovery of buildings like the Villa Necchi in Milan and Fendi’s renovation of the Palazzo della Civiltà in Rome, its visionary future seems finally to be within reach.

INFORMATION

romehotelmediterraneo.it

Everrati and Ionic aren’t the only companies in the business of electrifying classic cars. What started out as an extremely niche business is fast becoming a firm fixture in the classic car universe. Whether it’s a simple conversion for an everyday sports car or a full-on rebuild that creates a silent super-luxury machine, here’s our selection of companies dedicated to classic electric restomods – taking old cars into the 21st century and beyond.

Voitures Extravert

Martijn van Dijk’s Voitures Extravert is based in the Netherlands. Not only does the company specialise in adding electric power to the Porsche 911, it’s also an expert at taking a later model of the venerable sports car design, stripping it down and reshaping it as a 1970s-era classic, with period-perfect detail and colours. The process takes around nine months and the company will help you find a suitable donor car. 

From €285,000 
voitures-extravert.com 

Totem Automobili

Totem Automobili has a singular focus on one of the most beautiful car designs of all time, the Bertone-designed Alfa Romeo Giulia GTA. Built from 1965 to 1969, the GTA was a performance-focused version of Alfa’s exceptionally attractive two-door coupé. With a sparkier engine and lightweight aluminium bodywork, the 1960s GTA was an accomplished racing car. Totem’s GT Electric takes the stylistic spirit of the GTA and recreates it with a carbon fibre body and an all-electric drivetrain. The Italian-based company will hand-build each example, and has placed a special emphasis on audio design, using a 13-speaker system to completely recreate the original car’s sound, or something entirely new, should you so desire. Each interior is entirely bespoke, and the company has a partnership with leather specialists Amedeo Testoni for luggage and accessories. The light weight offers a promising range of over 240 miles, with fast-charging as standard. 

Totem GT Electric, price on application 
totemautomobili.com 

Electrogenic 

Another bespoke specialist, Oxford-based company Electrogenic tackles mid-range classics like the Triumph Stag and Morgan 4/4. These sympathetic conversions are both one-offs, and the company has also tackled the Jaguar E-Type, VW Beetle and Van, an early Land Rover and a 1970s-era Rolls-Royce. Swapping engines, fuel tanks and gearboxes for motors and batteries helps retain the original balance, while a modest range of around 150 miles can be achieved with Type 2 charging. The company's most recent conversion is a 1971 Citroën DS, the DS EV electronique, which includes a contemporary update for the car's pioneering hydraulic suspension system.

electrogenic.co.uk 

ECD Automotive Design 

ECD Automotive Design is based in Florida. As well as restoring a wide variety of Range Rovers and Land Rovers, classic and modern, the company is now branching out into electrification. Its first zero-emission models include a first generation Range Rover, complete with Tesla drivetrain and total bare metal restoration, and an all-electric Defender. The latter has an estimated range of 220 miles using a Tesla power plant and batteries, and a frankly alarming zero-to-60 time of 5.5 seconds. 

ECD Defender, price on request 
ecdautodesign.com 

Opel Manta GSe Elektromod

A one-off design study by Opel to celebrate 50 years of its classic Manta design. The GSe Elektromod provides a visual bridge between Vauxhall/Opel’s new design language and the pioneering forms it was creating back in the 1970s. The Manta GSe is a traditional ‘restomod’, in the sense that the original car has been preserved with light styling tweaks, and the new electric motor has been designed to shift through the original gearbox. The front end has been replaced by a digital screen alongside the headlights and the car has a modest range of 124 miles. 

Opel Manta GSe Elektromod, concept only 
opel.de 

Watt Electric Vehicle Company 

Watt Electric Vehicle Company is launching its business with a design that’s been a familiar part of the traditional restomod scene for decades, Porsche’s 356. The WEV Coupé combines the timeless elegance of the 356 with all-new electric underpinnings. This proprietary bit of tech is Watt’s Passenger And Commercial EV Skateboard (PACES), and the Cornish company hopes it’ll underpin vans and other vehicles in due course. Right now, the WEV Coupé will be the technology showcase, with 21 examples of this compact, stylish sportscar offered from early 2022. 

WEV Coupé, from £81,250 
wattelectricvehicles.com AC Cars 

AC Cars 

AC Cars has a long history and a complicated heritage – official and unofficial versions of its standout 1960s classic, the AC Cobra, continue to proliferate. The original company is staking its claim to the name with the Classic Electric Cobra Series 1, a zero-emissions version of the classic that promises to deliver the same blistering performance wrapped up in a familiar body shell. A litmus test for whether engine sound is an important component of a classic. 

accars.eu 

RBW Classic Electric Cars

RBW transforms the ubiquitous MGB into a zippy and ultra-compact EV. Available in both Roadster and closed GT, the emphasis is not on speed or dynamics, but on silent, refined motoring with high levels of luxury in a compact and familiar package. The company is also working on an electric version of the classic Jaguar E-Type. 

MGB Roadster, from approx £90,000 
rbwevcars.com 

Garage Italia 

Garage Italia customises a wide range of classic and modern Italian machinery. Co-founded by Fiat scion Lapo Elkann, the Milanese firm is as adept at respraying the latest Ferrari as it is at giving fresh life to a more prosaic classic. That’s the case in point with the Fiat Panda 4 x 4, one of Giugiaro’s most celebrated mass production designs. The company is creating five examples of the Icon-e Panda in five different themes, including collaborations with tailors Vitale Barberis Canonico and fashion designer Marta Ferri. 

Fiat Panda 4 x 4 Icon-e 
garage-italia.com 

Lunaz

Lunaz hit the headlines earlier this summer when it was announced that David Beckham had taken a stake in the company. Based in Silverstone, Lunaz pitched itself at the high end of the market from the outset, with an electrified Rolls-Royce Phantom, a 1950s-era Bentley and an overhauled Series 1 Range Rover in its line-up. This can be focused either on a more traditional ‘Country’ role, with an agile four-wheel drive system, or as a luxurious ‘Town’ model. 

Range Rover Classic, from £245,000 
lunaz.design 

eClassics

This Volkswagen-sanctioned transformation of the classic Beetle convertible is undertaken by German company eClassics. The e-Käfer convertible uses the drivetrain from VW’s modern e-up! electric city car, with all the other components completely overhauled. The company can also electrify the VW bus of your choice. 

eClassics e-Käfer convertible, from €154,900 
e-classics.eu 

Renault 4 e-Plein Air 

This collaboration between Renault Classic and Renault Design was a one-off celebration of the open-topped Renault 4 conversion favoured by the French beach set in the 1960s and 1970s. A direct competitor to Citroen’s equally cult-like Mehari, the original Plein Air was introduced in 1968 as a holiday runaround, with doors and roof removed and replaced with canvas. The e-Plein Air is an electric restomod, and incorporates the running gear from Renault’s dimunitive modern Twizy quadricycle.  

Renault Classic
en.renaultclassic.com 

Hemmels

The Hemmels Electric Pagoda takes one of Mercedes-Benz’s finest creations – the 280SL, built between 1963 and 1971. The W113 Series was a huge success back in the day, particularly in the US market, and some 50,000 examples were sold. Still a popular classic, Hemmels believes it can bring the clean-lined open-topped car bang up to date, with a full restoration and a bespoke electric drivetrain. The Electric Pagoda is now in Series III production, after the first two issues quickly sold out. 

Hemmels Electric Pagoda, from $239,000 
hemmels.com

Icon 4x4

Jonathan Ward’s Icon has been creating painstakingly meticulous updates of classic 4x4 models for two decades, supplying his glorious hand-built creations to the tech and entertainment set up and down the Californian coast. Icon also runs a ‘Derelict’ line, a service that underpins well-patinated classics with thoroughly modern running gear. In recent years these have run to unexpected electric conversions; our favourite is this 1966 Fiat Giardiniera.

Icon Derelicts, price on request 
icon4x4.com 

Jaguar E-Type Concept Zero

One of the original retro electric conversions, Jaguar’s E-Type Zero was revealed in 2017 and garnered major publicity when it was used as the going away car at the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Wessex, a neat marketing coup that sadly didn’t translate into any sales, as the project was eventually canned. Aston Martin has also dabbled in the re-fitting game, with an EV version of its 1960s-era DB6 developed a few years ago. If you still want an electric E-Type, then you’ll have go down the non-official routes. 

Jaguar E-Type Concept Zero, concept only 
jaguar.co.uk 

Zero Labs

Californian company Zero Labs was set up in 2015 to sate the demand for rivet-perfect restorations of compact, early SUVs like the first generation Ford Bronco, and the Series III Land Rover. By slotting batteries into these utilitarian classics, Zero Labs is one of the many niche stories in California’s rich history of electric motoring. Interiors are subtly upgraded in a minimal modernist style and the company can even finish the entire car in carbon fibre if that’s your bag. Its special projects division will tackle any vehicle of your choice, at a price. 

Bronco, from $225,000 
zerolabs.com 

Charge Cars

Charge is making a bold statement with its electrified Ford Mustang, one of the original muscle cars and a machine usually associated with all the sound and bluster of a traditional V8 engine. The company has big ambitions to build 499 examples of this all-American hero, with a 200-mile range (not far off the original thirsty petrol models) and upgraded user interfaces.

Ford Mustang Electric, from £300,000 
charge.cars

‘Do you know that I’ve always been rather fascinated by wallpaper?’ says Paolo Portoghesi gently, almost as if trying to break the ice. The 89-year-old architect, historian, poet, designer and mercurial icon of modern Italian culture shares a house with wife Giovanna in Calcata, a medieval hilltop town near Rome that has, in recent years, been repopulated by artists. The interiors feature a lot of wallpaper, mostly in patterns by William Morris, covering what empty wall space there is in the various libraries, studies, nooks and awkward anterooms. Everywhere are objects, miniscule and large, sought-after and found by chance, geological and zoological, in equal measure. The almost ludicrously decorative home-cum-museum of a polymath architect and historian might feel oppressive, or at least too strictly preserved in aspic, but this house is far from stuffy. Here, where every inch creates a patterned juxtaposition of past and present, where Portoghesi passes nimbly through the warrens and menageries, everything, including the walls and those Morris prints, seem to be very much alive.

Despite an architectural legacy that spans at least six decades – ranging from the radical, concrete curves of Casa Baldi (1959-61) on the outskirts of Rome to the elaborately sinuous interior of the Mosque of Rome (completed in 1994) – Portoghesi remains a contentious figure in modern Italian architecture. The country’s merciless theorists, often contemporaries, peers and collaborators of Portoghesi, were not always kind. In his History of Italian Architecture 1944-1985, Manfredo Tafuri asserted that Portoghesi’s work showed ‘a taste for excess but lacked any excitement’.

It is perhaps Portoghesi’s obsessive exploration of Italian, and specifically Roman, Baroque architecture that led to his isolation and categorisation as an adherent of historicism, a doctrine that was the very antithesis of 20th century architecture. Portoghesi was born and raised in central Rome, and the city’s monuments and their makers clearly cast a long shadow. He speaks of the precise moment when, as a young boy, he was struck by the cupola of Francesco Borromini’s 1642 church of Sant’Ivo alla Sapienza, which was near his school. ‘It was problematic for me, but I was enchanted,’ he says. Borromini’s manipulation of geometry and perspective was full of paradoxes, such as the harmony between sharp points and soft curves: ‘I saw that poetry is expressed through architecture.’

The main reception room of the house at Calcata is dominated by a metal and glass screen, fixed on a wall, which provides an alluring backdrop. It is inspired by the false apse of the church of Santa Maria at San Satiro in Milan, which was completed in 1482 and features an early example of trompe l’œil, attributed to High Renaissance architect Donato Bramante. As Portoghesi opens a secret mirrored door within the screen, he marvels at Bramante’s trick of making only nine metres of depth appear to be more like 80.

A playful sense of irony defines Portoghesi’s work and best explains his role as a pioneer of Italy’s postmodernist movement. In 1980, he spearheaded the creation of the first Venice Architecture Biennale, entitled La Presenza del Passato (The Presence of the Past). The fair was centred around the ‘Strada Novissima’ exhibition, for which he wrangled submissions from some of the world’s most prominent architects, among them Frank Gehry, Rem Koolhaas, Arata Isozaki, Robert Venturi and Denise Scott Brown, and Ricardo Bofill. Portoghesi created a street lined with the contributions of each participant architect, and the exhibition is considered by many as a rallying point for the postmodernist movement and certainly one of its most intellectually rigorous manifestations.

‘Sometimes you need a bit of noise and colour in architecture,’ says Portoghesi. During the 1980s, when postmodernism seized the architectural upper hand, he edited the ravishingly eclectic, large-format architectural quarterly magazine Eupalino. Looking inside any of the magazine’s 12 issues is a trip into the mind of the editor and a taste of the spirit of those times. ‘It was an era of optimism,’ he says. ‘Edonismo Reaganiano [Reagan-era hedonism].’ He felt relieved that the privations of modernism were gone. Le Corbusier, according to Portoghesi, managed to create astonishing works of art, but the modernism he spawned lacked expression and ultimately ruined the modern city. Indeed, ‘Strada Novissima’ offered a counter to Le Corbusier, who hated the closed-in ‘rue corridor’ and advocated endless, open streets stretching into the horizon. Portoghesi champions the opposite, saying, ‘It’s the very closing of the street that makes it beautiful. It’s how you create a gathering space.’

Adjacent to the complex of dwellings that forms Portoghesi’s house is an expansive garden containing various follies, fountains, temples and a library, as well as an impeccably-kept zoo. As tropical birds flap and squawk in their elaborate enclosures, he bends down to mimic the quacking of one of the geese that are allowed to roam free. Reflecting on a movement that he acknowledges is once again in fashion, Portoghesi remains enthusiastic: ‘Postmodernism represented liberty,’ he says. ‘It was freedom to explore the past or the future. Of course, liberty is dangerous, it can make you do irrational, absurd things. But we all need a spectacle.'

Bulgari has announced the growth of its hotel franchise with a new opening in Rome, in a significant homecoming for the Rome-based Maison.

To tie in with the hotel’s anticipated 2022 opening, Bulgari has created the Ospitalità Italiana necklace, which snakes familiar design references throughout its white gold coils. The tubogas choker, succinctly uniting Bulgari’s rich jewellery history with its newer forays into the hotel industry, is studded with gems, each one symbolising one of the ten Bulgari hotels set to be open by 2023.

For brand president and CEO Jean-Christophe Babin, the gems on this one-of-a-kind piece are weighted in significance. ‘We chose an extraordinary purple diamond for Rome, a nod to the signature colour of the Roman Empire,’ he says. Other stones, too, are rich in historicity: ‘There is a yellow diamond for Milan, to celebrate the main tone of the Sforza coat of arms and a white diamond for Moscow, honouring the preferred gem of Russian imperial families. The design and the boldness of the Bulgari Maison is what led us to imagine such a peculiar jewel.’

It is a bold tribute to the symbolism inherent in the Roman hotel opening, which, once again, has Italian architectural firm Antonio Citterio Patricia Vie at the helm. The building, located in the central Piazza Augusto Imperatore, is steeped in heritage. Originally completed in 1938 and designed by architect Vittorio Ballio Morpurgo, it takes its cues from the necklace by interweaving historical threads throughout its design. Traditional Roman materials including Travertine marble and burnt red brick – as well as Antonio Barrera’s beautiful frescos – soften its striking rationalist architecture.

INFORMATION

bulgari.com

Nothing shouts ‘the good life’ better than driving a bright-yellow vintage 1960s Fiat 500 Jolly Spiaggina – modernised to run solely on electric power – along the beautiful roads around Lake Como in the famous car brand’s native Italy. The classic Fiat 500 is already widely adored as one of the best ‘everyman cars’ ever designed – Italy’s version of the English Mini or the French Citroën 2CV – and the Spiaggina version, meaning ‘little beach’ in Italian, ramps up the feel-good factor a few notches higher.

Taking away the roof and doors of a car breaks down the usual physical barriers to human commuter interaction and creates a metaphorical openness in the process too. Gliding silently through the narrow streets of idyllic lakeside villages – the Spiaggina EV’s top speed is only about 50mph and with open-top air flow to contend with, slower is better – crowd reaction is constant and consistently positive. Smiles abound along with shouts of ‘Numero uno’, ‘Bella macchina’ and more. Once you get into character it’s impossible not to smile and wave back, return the numerous thumbs up signals and shout the odd ‘Buongiorno’ to any locals sitting outside cafes and bars. Even the grumpiest old men repeat the greeting.

Driving the Spiaggina Icon-e, converted to electric via Fiat heir Lapo Elkann’s Garage Italia business, takes a little getting used to, but it’s a blissfully simple process by modern-day standards. Entry to the vehicle involves unclipping a VIP-style rope and stepping over a low sill into one of four wicker seats (there are no seatbelts, as this car was born before they were mandatory). The car is turned on with a conventional key in a slot in the yellow metal dashboard and then you simply flick a black switch to its left to put the car into ‘Drive’.

The steering wheel is large, thin-rimmed and with no obvious power assistance, but the car is light and tiny, so manoeuvring is simple. Rear legroom is only okay, but it’s not a long-haul vehicle. A single driver dial has been updated with an LCD display to indicate Drive, Reverse and Neutral and also how much electric range is left. Don’t trust it: The claimed circa 60-mile range we found (to our cost) to be closer to 40 miles, despite the display indicating otherwise. Still, if you use this car for a fun day close to where you hire it, you’ll be fine. And if you take the car for more than 24 hours there’s a charging cable in the ‘boot’ to bring it back to ‘full’ (where the original car housed its tiny rear-mounted engine).

For longer journeys Hertz’s ‘Selezione Italia’ rental fleet also offers other Italian cars including an Alfa Romeo Giulia saloon ‘Grand Tour’ edition with a vivid blue exterior paint job and a ceiling liner printed with a classical mural, (an acquired taste), but also an efficient modern diesel Alfa Romeo Stelvio SUV able to carry major luggage and passengers with ease. The Fiat 500 Spiaggina isn’t cheap at €250 a day, but as a way to connect to your location like no other, it’s a one-off experience that’s hard to beat.

INFORMATION

garage-italia.com