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The creative process is often triggered by images and sensations which in turn suggest materials and colours. These frequently emerge during initial site inspections and are then refined and developed during the course of the project, creating a structure and storytelling in so doing. These elements may be just simple suggestions, but they already contain the germ of the project and its basic concept. In terms of the Palazzo al Velabro hospitality project, this was to involve different approaches and sensitivities around the idea “a room is not enough”. This permitted the project’s creators to bring together the concepts of design, contemporary art, books and cinema under one roof, thus making the interior design project something to be experienced as completely as possible.
Palazzo Velabro enjoys a privileged historical location in the heart of Rome, overlooking the Arco di Giano (Arch of Janus) to one side and near the Church of San Giorgio al Velabro and the Imperial Forums. Originally built in the first half of the 1700s, during the 1960s the building underwent a restoration process overseen by the 20th century rationalist Luigi Moretti. Today the main features of the building's history can still be seen, from the integrity of the 18th century architectural structure, perfectly preserved both in the facades and in the subdivision of the interior spaces, up to the results of Moretti's intervention.
The project has maintained the external architectural structure since it is protected as element of cultural heritage. The load-bearing plastered brick masonry of the façade has a simple yet elegant elevation punctuated by regularly positioned windows, which has been the subject of a conservative restoration procedure. It saw the return of the light pink lime putty plaster together with the squaring on the white windows. Given the complexity of the restrictions, from an energy consumption point of view, certifications were not requested - however the project maintains its own sustainability as it has preserved both the original structures and the recoverable materials. In doing so, it has limited the environmental impact generated during disposal of the relevant materials.
The four main elements that the GaribaldiArchitects project wanted to use as a tribute to the Maestro and the city of Rome are colour, wood, marble and raw earth. The use of colour within the project was not a choice related to the decorative aspect but rather an enhancement of the flat figures which, together with the perimeter bands and ceilings, underline the continuity of the walls through their curvature. The idea of colour then took on a life of its own, resulting in three different vintage shades, namely sage green, brick pink and cobalt blue. The second leading element in the project is the curved ribbed walnut wood from the 1950s, which appears in the form of boiserie and furniture, while the third element is the marble that emerges when looking more broadly at the work of Luigi Moretti in Rome in the interiors of the Foro Italico. This element, which has always represented the Eternal City, was included in the project and specifically for the Velabrum in the form of Purple and Arabescato Breccia marble. Finally, the design choice for the material used on the ground floor is highly evocative, since the different coloured terracotta moulded floor and the walls clad in powder-coloured raw earth reinforce the materiality of the walls and the sense of intimacy within the rooms.
The same philosophy guided the client and the architect (both passionate about contemporary art) in their perception of this project as a space with both current site-specific works of art and future projects. The specially designed spaces will see young Roman and non-Roman artists discuss the theme of the contemporary ranging from art, photography and literature to cinema, all under the guidance of a number of art curators such as Chiara Guidi and Maria Vittoria Baravelli.
Innovation, emotion and function are the three key words that best sum up the creative vision and philosophy of the top Milanese studio GaribaldiArchitects. The studio was founded by the architect Alessia Garibaldi who graduated in 2000 from the Milan Polytechnic after studying art and who started her independent career in 2006.
The stylistic hallmark of interiors created by GaribaldiArchitects is best expressed as a passion for historical sensitivity together with a technical investigation of the structure. This is then followed by identifying the client's needs and any new function of the space. The result is the alchemy created by elegant and sober environments in which both the past and the present express themselves simultaneously.
The idea of combining the world of wine with that of design emerged spontaneously from years of experience acquired in the design of experiential and multisensory spaces and it has come to fruition in the wine tasting room concept.
