Built on Sacca Sessola, the largest of the hundreds of islets scattered across the Venetian lagoon, the newest launch from hotel group JW Marriott, appears like a floating slice of countryside, with all of its 20 buildings – which comprise a luxury hotel, private villas, and a spa and wellness centre – surrounded by a lush park of green grass, olive trees, ivy-trellised terraces and a vegetable garden that furnishes the resort’s two restaurants with fresh produce daily.
‘This is a return to nature,’ observes Milan-based architect Matteo Thun, who together with partner Luca Colombo not only designed the buildings and its interiors, but also the landscaping that unfurls freely across the 160,000 sq m property. ‘The empty spaces are a true luxury for Venice.’
A former convalescent hospital for contagious patients, the island’s original structures date back to 1936. Rather than toppling the series of abandoned buildings, Thun carefully restored each of them to maintain the year-worn patina of their antique brick facades. He then built new structures within the original frames without touching the existing walls. Thun’s ‘box-in-the-box’ principle allows for an authentic rendition of storied buildings.
‘I can’t stand the fake old thing,’ the architect observes of Venice’s many artificially produced ‘historic’ hotels. But his interiors are strictly non-nostalgic, focusing on his design doctrine of sustainability and zero-waste. A network of local partners includes textiles from Rubelli, customised light installations by Barovier & Toso, Zucchetti’s bathroom fixtures, hand-blown glass lamps designed by Antonio Rodriguez and produced by Artemide and clean furniture crafted from local wood.
Meanwhile, all of the treatment rooms in the spa as well as the rooftop infinity pool offer views of the Venetian skyline. ‘You can see the sunset at Piazza San Marco,’ says the architect. ‘It’s fantastic. It’s so rare to actually see Venice in Venice.’
ADDRESS
Isola delle Rose
Laguna di San Marco
-
The gayest love story ever told: Jeremy Atherton Lin's memoir is a tribute to homeIn 'Deep House: The Gayest Love Story Ever Told', Jeremy Atherton Lin mixes memoir with a historical deep-dive into marriage equlaity
-
This monumental Valentino book is a true Italian fashion epicSpanning oral testimony, sketches and magazine spreads, ‘Valentino: A Grand Italian Epic’ (published by Taschen) charts the career of Valentino Garavani, whose mononymous Roman house would define a vision of Italian glamour
-
At the Royal Academy summer show, architecture and art combine as never beforeThe Royal Academy summer show is about to open in London; we toured the iconic annual exhibition and spoke to its curator for architecture, Farshid Moussavi
-
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
