The Rooms of Rome — Rome, Italy
![The Rooms of Rome bedroom with untreated concrete walls, bay window and trompe l’oeil panels that mimic a mirror](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/5jsMGT5UN4S34xB9R7zvzH-415-80.jpeg)
It isn’t too much of a stretch to state baldly that The Rooms of Rome combines three of our favourite pastimes: architecture, interior design and art. It certainly helps, too, that a couple of Wallpaper* stalwarts are so inextricably linked to the project.
Occupying the ground, fourth and fifth floors of one of the 17th-century palazzi that Rome seems to have such a surfeit of, the Fondazione Alda Fendi – Esperimenti has created a remarkable mixed-used hub which includes a suite of boutique serviced apartments that are personally operated by Kike Sarasola, the founder of the Room Mate group.
The French architect Jean Nouvel has left his indelible imprint on the 3,500sq m space, not least in the 24 grand apartments on the first, second and third floors that he has refashioned as a series of generously proportioned rooms. These, he blesses with natural light and furnishes with a sophisticated swathe of untreated concrete, steel finishes, trompe l’oeil panels that mimic a mirror reflecting an alternative dimension of the room, and midcentury inspired furniture. The elegance of the millennial ensemble set off by exposed brickwork and ancient timber beams.
For guests, the in-house diversions are, by virtue of the fact that it’s not run as a hotel, rather limited, but Sarasola cleverly works with external collaborators for everything from spa treatments and cooking lessons to museum and private city tours.
The Fondazione’s ground floor gallery is conceived as a bridge between Italian history and art, and contemporary perspectives presented as audio and visual installations. The first exhibit of Michelangelo’s Florentine and Roman architectural drawings was accompanied by Nouvel’s commentary, whilst the Renaissance giant’s L’adolescente sculpture will arrive in December on loan from Saint Petersburg’s Hermitage.
The fourth floor and rooftop on the fifth, meanwhile, have been given over Caviar Kaspia, the gallery’s soigné restaurant whose three large terraces, windows and strategically placed mirrors overlook the Forum, the Temple of Vestia, the Arch of Janus and the hills of Rome. Here, head chef Giovanni Giammarino delivers a singularly Italian menu of linguine spiked with truffles and bottarga, and ravioli stuffed with parmigiano Reggiano, alongside a bevy of marine-based delicacies such as Norwegian salmon, and Bulgarian oscietra and beluga.
INFORMATION
ADDRESS
Via del Velabro 9
Wallpaper* Newsletter + Free Download
For a free digital copy of August Wallpaper*, celebrating Creative America, sign up today to receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories
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.
-
‘Hedonistic and avant-garde’: Rabanne’s Julian Dossena on the legacy of the chainmail 1969 bag
Paco Rabanne’s 1969 chainmail handbag encapsulates the late designer’s futuristic, space-age style. Current creative director Julien Dossena tells Wallpaper* about the bag’s particular pleasures
By Jack Moss Published
-
Postcard from Paris: Olympic fever takes over the streets
On the eve of the opening ceremony of Paris 2024, our correspondent shares her views from the streets of the capital about how the event is impacting the urban landscape.
By Minako Norimatsu Published
-
The Mercury Prize nominees for 2024 have been revealed
Charli XCX, The Last Dinner Party and Beth Gibbons are amongst this year's nominees
By Charlotte Gunn Published
-
Surrender to these six swim-perfect outdoor hotel pools
Discover the best outdoor hotel pools, from Amankila’s aquatic triptych by Ed Tuttle to Nicolas Party’s swimmable artwork at Le Sirenuse
By Sofia de la Cruz Published
-
Serenity reigns at Porto Ercole’s La Roqqa hotel
Studio Palomba Serafini has designed La Roqqa, a new hotel in Italy’s Porto Ercole, with retro nods, Tuscan flair and contemporary luxury
By Nicola Leigh Stewart Published
-
New hotel Palazzo Cordusio is a tribute to Milan’s enduring panache
Palazzo Cordusio, Gran Meliá’s Milan hotel debut, is set within a neo-classical icon moments from some of the city’s best-known landmarks
By Sofia de la Cruz Published
-
Contraste restaurant in Milan is a beautiful cacophony of colour, form and texture
Michelin-starred Contraste restaurant reopens its doors following a vibrant renovation by Debonademeo
By Sofia de la Cruz Published
-
Dive into Nicolas Party’s otherworldly art at Le Sirenuse swimming pool in Positano
Le Sirenuse unveils its latest site-specific commission, a breathtaking swimming pool completely reimaged by figurative artist Nicolas Party
By Sofia de la Cruz Published
-
Revisiting Palazzo Margherita, Francis Ford Coppola’s Italian hideout
Palazzo Margherita is a magical retreat in Southern Italy’s lesser-known Basilicata region, designed by the Coppola family and Jacques Grange
By Sofia de la Cruz Published
-
Monteverdi hotel in Tuscany unveils a new contemporary art gallery by Foster + Partners
Foster+Partners’ gallery at Monteverdi hotel will be inaugurated with an exhibition curated by Sarah McCrory
By Laura May Todd Published
-
Palazzo Roma embodies the heritage of Roman noblesse
Palazzo Roma, part of the Shedir Collection, boasts eclectic and eccentric interiors by Giampiero Panepinto
By Luke Abrahams Published