Pierre-Yves Rochon celebrates ‘the great tradition of Italian design’ in Four Seasons Hotel Milano refresh

The Four Seasons Milan, located on the discreet Via Gesù in the city’s so-called ‘Golden Rectangle’ shopping district, where the world’s most coveted fashion flagships and independent boutiques rub shoulders, was the first outpost of the Canadian luxury hotel brand in continental Europe, opening in 1993. Aside from its cachet, the hotel is very much steeped in history. The building’s foundations were laid in the 15th century as a convent, and it later became a private house for an aristocratic family. Not satisfied to simply trade on its history, the hotel has recently unveiled a collection of new rooms and suites by French designer Pierre-Yves Rochon.

Pierre-Yves Rochon redesigns the Four Seasons Hotel Milano’s rooms and suites

‘I feel lucky to have worked on this project, because I’ve known the Four Seasons in Milan for a long time,’ says Rochon, whose previous work with the luxury hotel brand includes the recent redesign of the Four Seasons George V in Paris. ‘I love the location, I love the [convent] setting with the enormous garden, and I love the size of the rooms,’ he says of the Milan hotel

Rochon found the seeds of his concept in the historic building’s original features. Upon entering from Via Gesù, guests are greeted with a restored 18th-century fresco that hints at the building’s heritage. ‘My dream was to carry the colour scheme from the ground floor frescoes through the corridors and into the rooms,’ says Rochon, whose ideas manifested in sky blue and terracotta upholstery on the walls, woven by the Venetian textile house Rubelli.

Rochon collaborated with another historic design brand, Poliform, to furnish the rooms, designing custom bookshelves in light-toned rosewood, and brass-trimmed wooden tables. The finely crafted furniture was then organised to create a series of disparate zones within each room. ‘The idea is that each guest room feels like a studio apartment. You should close your eyes and think, “This is my pied-à-terre in Milan,”’ says Rochon. ‘You have a nice entrance, a walk-in dressing room, a large bathroom, a spacious living area, maybe a dining table for four, a comfortable sofa to watch TV, and a library.’

Thanks to the former convent’s irregular organisation, Rochon reveals that no two rooms are exactly alike, with each conforming to an original layout and styling. That being said, not all have been created equal. Two standout suites feature decorative flourishes that have mesmerised occupants for centuries.

The first is the Fresco Suite, a studio-style space whose ceiling features a hand-painted fresco, similar to the one found in the hotel’s entranceway. Rochon took inspiration from the artwork, completed by Giocondo Albertolli in the 18th century, designing the room around a colour palette that subtly echoes its yellow and peach tones.

The other showpiece is the sumptuous Renaissance Suite, which unfurls below an elaborate, centuries-old stucco ceiling. Dressed in shades of pale grey and white –including Rubelli-upholstered panels behind the mirrored canopy bed – the room’s four windows look out over the hotel’s courtyard garden. Rochon mirrored the garden’s verdant geometry with touches of green throughout the room, including the upholstered dining chairs and an oval-shaped floral painting with gilt edges.

In designing the space, Rochon kept in mind Milan’s status as the world’s design capital. ‘Every designer comes to the Salone del Mobile in Milan, and I wanted the hotel guests to feel the same excitement,’ he says of his approach. ‘I wanted them to love the rooms and feel: “Yes, we are in Italy – we’re in Milan.”’

Four Seasons Hotel Milano is located a Via Gesù, 6-8, 20121 Milan, Italy.