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Location: Brixen, Bolzano, Italy
Completion: 2024
Architect: Vudafieri-Saverino Partners
Photography by Paolo Valentini, courtesy of Vudafieri-Saverino Partners
Consultants
Contemporary Art Collection Curator: Stefanie Prieth
Ancient Art Collection Curator: Rose Bourdon
Building Permits and Authorizations: Studio Ferrari
Lighting: Studio Amort
Structural: Kauer Seehauser
Mechanical: Heiz Studio
Electrical: Studio Eplan
Acoustics: Nira Consulting
A 4-star art hotel and the home of its managers coexist within the historic walls of Lasserhaus, a 15th century aristocratic residence in the heart of Brixen, Italy, owned by the Faller family for over 40 years. The project was the work of Claudio Saverino and Tiziano Vudafieri from Milan studio Vudafieri-Saverino Partners.
This heritage building comprises ten hotel guestrooms on the first two levels (three suites, six doubles, and one single), and a private residence on the top two floors. Lasserhaus also houses a collection of classical paintings, belonging to the property, and works by contemporary artists. An attraction for the local community, the artworks also sum up the essence of this project, which was to create a dialogue between the historical and contemporary while respecting the spirit of the place.
The project went beyond the restoration of a listed property to give the building a whole new life. To help achieve this, five contemporary artists were asked to interpret the history of the property and create a new narrative that reflects the classical works.
The lobby and reception are at street level. This space leads to four guestrooms, a small guest lounge with a reading space, and the wine cellar, where the original small tasting room has been reinvented by Austrian digital art pioneer Peter Kogler. The psychedelic textures of his art create unusual spatial depths that draw in the eye.
A staircase leads to the mezzanine floor, which has a spa with a sauna and jacuzzi. Alexander Wierer has created the artwork here, which focuses on the unrelenting passage of time and the transience of the present. Finally, on the second floor there is a breakfast room and the remaining guestrooms.
And the artworks continue into several of the rooms, Ranging from Ingrid Hora’s Barre a muro (Wall bars), which encourages guests to give free rein to their ideas, to Esther Stocker’s Pensieri e pianeti (Thoughts and planets), ten sculptures that seem to float in the ceiling vaults. Expect the Best by visual artist Petra Polli sets the mood in the common areas.
Stefanie Prieth was curator of the contemporary artworks, while Rose Bourdon curated the family collection. Their work marks the beginning of a larger project to gradually expand and enlarge the collection. The connecting thread running through the contemporary collection is connection and openness, while the curation of the Faller collection, made up of over 100 works dating from 1600 to the mid-20th century, combines classical and conceptual exhibition techniques.
In terms of interior design, the rooms retain their original 15th century features but with a different accent created by combinations of natural materials, such as larch, beech, and brass, and tactile surfaces such as velvet, with a material-driven approach giving a three-dimensionality to the finishes. Some of the furniture is recycled, such as the reclaimed traditional Tyrolean chairs, but most was custom made, ranging from the closets to the partitions, bed headboards, and desks.
The color palette centers on the hues of autumnal woods and mountains, while warm diffused light from floor and wall lamps create a relaxed atmosphere.
