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
-
Vestre’s neo-brutalist furniture will bring ‘a little madness’ to Paris Fashion WeekBound for Paris Men’s Fashion Week this month, Norwegian furniture brand Vestre reveals a sculptural bench and mirror created with designer Vincent Laine and fashion creative Willy Cartier – the latest outcome of its risk-taking ‘a little madness’ initiative
-
For its latest runway show, Zegna creates a serene oasis in DubaiThe Italian fashion house took over the Dubai Opera for a S/S 2026 show that proposed a lived-in elegance, drawing inspiration from Dubai’s sunbaked landscapes and Zegna’s birthplace of Trivero
-
Time-travel to the golden age of the cruise ship at Sea Containers LondonThe South Bank hotel celebrates its tenth anniversary with four new suites inspired by period cabin design, from Edwardian elegance to 1980s glamour
-
Detour Discotheque is bringing ‘the world’s dreamiest party’ to PugliaThe pop-up event, La Dolce Vita Disco, promises dancing, good food and sunshine in a 16th-century Italian farmhouse
-
Five tranquil suites by Patricia Urquiola suspend visitors ‘between sea and sky’ in CapriPatricia Urquiola dreams up a study in contrast and tradition for the next chapter of Jumeirah Capri Palace
-
Sun-soaked European destinations to visit in springDreaming of Florentine palazzos and Greek islands now that the weather is starting to turn? Check into one of these beautiful European hotels and holiday homes
-
Everything you need to know about Italy's Lake Maggiore, according to FormafantasmaFrom baroque gardens to panoramic views, Andrea Trimarchi and Simone Farresin show us around this Italian escape
-
Wallpaper* checks in at Romeo Roma: a new hotel that’s one of Zaha Hadid’s last projectsLocated within Rome’s Tridente, Romeo Roma is a palimpsest of periods in which the late Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid left her avant-garde mark
-
Five influential women hoteliers reflect on the changing face of hospitalityAs women continue to gain ground in the hotel sector, despite still being underrepresented in senior positions, five female moguls share their experiences of the past and projections for the future
-
Must-visit cinemas with award-worthy designThere’s more magic to the movies at these design-led cinemas, from Busan Cinema Centre’s ‘flying’ roof to The Gem Cinema Jaipur’s art deco allure
-
The best Milan bars for a fashionable aperitivoMilan’s after-dark renaissance is evident in a new wave of design-led cocktail bars, setting the right mood for enticing aperitivos and nightcaps; Milan editor Laura May Todd recommends the best
