Bulgari unveils London hotel designed by Antonio Citterio

By any standards, London has been experiencing an extraordinary spring. In the lead up to July’s Olympic Games, the city is blooming with new hotels, the latest being the Bulgari. This is only the third Bulgari hotel in the world, following the much lauded properties in Bali and Milan.
Housed in an entirely new building among Knightsbridge’s traditional architecture, it features a façade constructed from Portland Stone, a material that also adorns London’s most important sights, including St Paul's Cathedral, Buckingham Palace, the National Gallery and the British Museum.
Leading the design team is the architect and Bulgari stalwart Antonio Citterio, who has furnished the 85 rooms and suites with his trademark palette of stained oak and glossy Sapele mahogany, plus acres of leather, masculine furnishings and silver, the latter a subtle nod towards the brand's heritage of silverwork. Much of it is Italian designed, of course, from the solid-silver chandeliers and thick textiles to the custom-made silk curtains and bedside lamps that pay homage to Bulgari’s classic range of candlesticks. Many of the upholstered furnishings are collaborations between Citterio and B&B Italia for its Maxalto collections.
Robbie Pepin, who opened Alain Ducasse’s Italian restaurant La Trattoria in Monaco, headlines the in-house restaurant Il Ristorante with a Brit-influenced Italian menu. And for a post-prandial treat, there’s something to be said for settling into a plush 47-seat private cinema, which boasts a library of around 500 films, curated by British producer, David Puttnam.
But best of all is, of course, the spa, one of the largest in London, which takes over the two lower floors of the building. The pool area is faced in sandblasted Vicenza stone and features a 25m pool lined with mosaic tiles in nuances of green and gold.
The main lounge incorporates Italian-designed furnishings and a honed-granite fireplace, with a steel curtain
The design team was lead by architect and Bulgari stalwart Antonio Citterio, who also designed the oversized sectional sofa in the lounge. Many of the upholstered furnishings are collaborations between Citterio and B&B Italia for its Maxalto collections
Citterio furnished the 85 rooms and suites in his trademark palette of stained oak, mahogany and granite with leather furnishings and silver (the latter a subtle nod towards the brand's heritage of silverwork). He gave the lobby an intimate feel with dividing screens dimmed with brushed, mirrored and mesh steel
Most furnishings and accessories are Italian designed, from the solid-silver chandeliers and sturdy upholsteries to the custom-made silk curtains and bedside lamps that pay homage to Bulgari’s classic silver ranges
Mirrored surfaces abound in the 85 guest rooms, fitted with glossy Sapele mahogany and modular privacy screens
Above the restaurant - headlined by Robbie Pepin, and offering a Brit-influenced Italian menu - is a bar, featuring a sweeping oval counter, handcrafted in Italy from stainless steel
The spa is one of London's largest, and takes over the two lower floors of the building. The pool area is faced in sandblasted Vicenza stone and features a 25m pool lined with mosaic tiles in nuances of green and gold
ADDRESS
171 Knightsbridge
London SW7 1DW
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Daven Wu is the Singapore Editor at Wallpaper*. A former corporate lawyer, he has been covering Singapore and the neighbouring South-East Asian region since 1999, writing extensively about architecture, design, and travel for both the magazine and website. He is also the City Editor for the Phaidon Wallpaper* City Guide to Singapore.
-
Premium patisserie Naya is Mayfair’s latest sweet spot
Heritage meets opulence at Naya bakery in Mayfair, London. With interiors by India Hicks and Anna Goulandris, the patisserie looks good enough to eat
-
Discover midcentury treasures in Marylebone with Álvaro by Appointment
London is full of sequestered design havens, and Wallpaper* knows them all. Allow us to point you in the direction of Álvaro González’s shop window on Nottingham Place, home to a bonanza of beautiful 20th-century antiques
-
Beach chic: the all-new Citroën Ami gets an acid-tinged, open-air Buggy variant
Citroën have brought a dose of polychromatic playfulness to their new generation Ami microcar, the cult all-ages electric quadricycle that channels the spirit of the 2CV for the modern age
-
Discover midcentury treasures in Marylebone with Álvaro by Appointment
London is full of sequestered design havens, and Wallpaper* knows them all. Allow us to point you in the direction of Álvaro González’s shop window on Nottingham Place, home to a bonanza of beautiful 20th-century antiques
-
Step inside one of the Peninsula Residences: comfort meets luxury in London
Warmth permeates this exclusive address – one of 24 residences attached to The Peninsula London hotel, and the latest stop for Wallpaper’s interior design series, The Inside Story
-
Exploring this whimsical North London home feels like going down the rabbit hole
Wallpaper* series, The Inside Story, spotlights intriguing, exciting or innovative interiors. OntheSq is the result of a renovation of a beautiful period property, which has been dressed in a mélange of designs loosely inspired by 'Alice in Wonderland'
-
Introducing Wallpaper’s new video series, The Stuff That Surrounds
In The Stuff That Surrounds, Wallpaper* explores a life through objects. First up, we go inside the eclectic London flat of creative director and designer Veronica Ditting
-
B&B Italia unveils Tufty-Time 20, a reimagining of its iconic modular sofa
This year marks 20 years since the first Tufty-Time sofa was launched; to mark the occasion, B&B Italia has released an updated version of the much-loved model
-
Tamart’s ‘Clore’ floor lamp revives a modernist lighting classic
Tamart debuts the 'Clore' floor lamp, a handblown glass design originally created in 1963 for Sir Charles Clore's London penthouse
-
Designer Marta de la Rica’s elegant Madrid studio is full of perfectly-pitched contradictions
The studio, or ‘the laboratory’ as de la Rica and her team call it, plays with colour, texture and scale in eminently rewarding ways
-
‘It feels almost alive’: This rare Judy Kensley McKie ‘Leopard Couch’ could be yours
Designer Judy Kensley McKie’s 1983 ‘Leopard Couch’ will be auctioned at Phillips; one of her first fully realised sculptural furniture designs, it’s a zoomorphic delight