Hotel Urban Design has been inaugurated in December 2006 after a little more than two years of preservative renovation works. This was possible thanks to CIP’s (Community Initiatives Program) “Urban” project, that inspired the name of the hotel. These works changed the purpose of use of four historical buildings – dated back to the 17th and 18th century – located in Trieste’s Old Town.
The project was commissioned to architect Mauro Oliveti, born in Veneto to a family of hoteliers and a graduate from the Architecture School of Venice. The concept behind the renovation works was inspired by luxury cruise ships: exploiting the small spaces and providing them with all the possible comforts.
While renovating the buildings, located in an historical area of the city, many archaeological remains have been discovered. Among these are the ruins of the wall of the Roman city of Tergeste (dated between the 4th and the 6th century AD) and of a stepped dock, which dates back to the building of the harbour between the 1st and the 2nd century AD. Both of them can now be admired in the Breakfast Room of the hotel.
This great result would not have been possible without the technical support of leading Italian and local enterprises: master craftsman Simon Benetton, Settimo Costruzioni, Capiotto (plumbing systems), Fabbian (chandeliers), Moroso (chairs and part of the furniture).
Born in Treviso in 1933, the author of the sculputer that welcomes our guests, Simon Benetton, attended Venice’s Academy of Fine Arts to then continuing on with his career. He taught sculpture at Macerata’s Academy of Fine Arts and worked with state schools since the 80s. His latest studies have projected him into urban space as an expression of freedom and progress to the point of combining iron and crystal.
“The focal point of Simon Benetton’s sculptures is not the iron, but the rhythmic dynamism he infuses in his works. He does not write on the metal, he uses metal to write signs and signals in the space. To Simon Benetton sculpting is creating a constellation of signs and formal elements in a spatial context”
Enrico Crispolti
Nicola Tomasi, who has been active in Gorizia for several years now, is a refined minimalist and visionary painter. Through his calculated and flawless technique, he can create the most fantastic architectures, like his memory palaces, light but strong images that – thanks to elegantly forced perspective – seem to fly in the sky. His works present a rational yet original layout, that follows the rules of intuition and modern composition. It is not by chance that his inventions and structures derive from one of the main artistic expressions of the 2000s, photography. Tomasi has always been an enthusiastic photographer, and it is actually thanks to photography that he drew close to painting. In the last few years his silent palaces won this very modern and “wise” artist several awards. Many of his paintings are hung in the hall, the breakfast room and the bar.
Marianna Accerboni
The lighting system revolves around the original fusion between LED and modern-style lamps, which enhances the forms and the colours of the furniture. A 3m long custom-made suspension lamp is hung in the hall, next to Simon Benetton’s large sculpture and above the reception desk (whose design is inspired by nautical furniture). The uniform light cast by the suspension lamp contrasts with the ceiling lights and the Zen niches in the hall, as well as with the LED lights of the Cricket niches in the corridors. These lights in particular enhance the original stone wall and the ancient architectural remains. The same cool light high power LEDs light up the bar counter and contrast with the warm light of the Motion appliques and of the four original Dono appliques, whose glasses create particular light effects on the walls. In the guestrooms, the irregularity of the forms is enhanced by the asymmetrical Motion appliques-abatjours. All the rooms feature ultramodern technologies and minimalistic-style furniture, inspired by luxury cruise ships.
The unusual reception desk has been made upon a specific request by Mr Costantin, owner of the hotel and enthusiastic sailor, born to a family of Venetian hoteliers. The desk, inspired by the sailing world and in particular by boat keels, was commissioned to an Italian shipyard that builds sailing and motor boats using leftover composite materials.
The quality of our guests’ sleep is of the utmost importance to us, that is why every room in our hotel features 100% Italian hand-made mattresses, produced by Falomo manifacture. The wood bed frames are custom-made by Italian woodworkers from a design by Moroso, which includes asymmetrical headboards and bedside tables.
