Design showcase: top five past and present designs

by TOPHOTELNEWS Editor | 01 Jun 2022 | Design

In collaboration with TOPHOTELDESIGN, we highlight five exceptional hotel designs that draw on both the past and present of where they are.

Properties fusing references to the history of their site with a representation of the modern locale take us across Italy.

Fusing the past and present

Past and present: How do those two coexist in terms of design? If you look around, chances are you’re surrounded by at least a few objects that belong to different eras than the one we live in.

Some shapes, textures and colours are simply timeless and can withstand many years without feeling outdated. Others are outspokenly vintage and full of character. They tell stories with their materiality, craftsmanship and unique aesthetic.

Either way, it can be a challenge to design for earlier architectural spaces and interiors. Some designers will be inclined to search for items that blend with the original furnishings of the place. But this is an approach that can cause the vintage structures and items to lie flat.

Today we have selected five projects, all within Italy, that did just the opposite, bringing out the life contained in spaces from the past while updating their style with pops of contemporary detail. Respectful yet upbeat, these interiors combine past and present to turn it into something completely new.

Check out the links below and explore the projects in TOPHOTELDESIGN.

Radisson Collection Hotel, Palazzo Touring Club Milan

Milan, Italy
by Studio Marco Piva
supplied by Geberit International AG & Hansgrohe

Palazzo Daniele

Gagliano del Capo, Italy
by Palomba Serafini Associati

Image by © Cosmo Laera

Monastero Arx Vivendi

Arco, Italy
by noa* – network of architecture

Image by © Alex Filz

Aman Venice

Venice, Italy
by Elastic Architects London

Radisson Collection Hotel Palazzo Nani

Venice, Italy
by Studio Marco Piva
supplied by Geberit International AG & Hansgrohe

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