The Pleasures of Travel on Etna’s Slopes

By Editorial Staff - 5 September 2022
Quadrodesign has participated in the project

The story of the críu, an ancient Sicilian implement used to sieve flour and grainy compounds like breadcrumbs, is a tradition that goes back a very long way but is still alive today, and very much a local identifier. The name brings to mind rare, green-eared Scorzonera wheat and conjures up a series of symbols that underpin the personality and nature of the Críu Boutique Hotel. Located on the slopes of Etna between the mountains and the sea, the hotel’s characteristics are inspired by its name.

Created by recovering and converting a 1950s villa on pilotis, the lineaT Studio-designed accommodation facility was conceived on a human scale as a place where guests feel at home and experience an atmosphere that is as family-inspired as it is Sicilian, cultivating a sense of discovery and rewarding the pleasure of travel. In their design, firm founders Giorgia Testa and Salvatore Terranova were keen to express their curiosity about local traditions, manifested through the scents, flavors and colors of this part of the world. All of the small pieces of the puzzle at Críu Boutique Hotel tell the story of the Mediterranean through the authentic, genuine, personal prism of the volcano’s southern slopes and the rest of the region, establishing a special link between nature, the environment and minimalist design to enhance quality of life.

Críu Boutique Hotel - © Alessandro Castagna courtesy LineaT Studio Al secondo piano vi è la suite Manna, il cui nome deriva da un prodotto proveniente dal frassino delle Madonie. Versatile e raffinato, è un ingrediente le cui caratteristiche vengono richiamate dagli arredi semplici ma sofisticati.

“We would love to find a críu on all our journeys”, say the designers. “It is the home we would like to become a benchmark for travelers who seek a relationship with nature and are environmentally conscious, demanding yet at the same time lovers of simplicity”. All these characteristics are reflected as much in the services as the architecture, starting with repurposing elements found in situ, and renewal of the internal space distribution. The overall design evolved out of the idea of restoring the existing building without distorting its clear lines, which remain visible inside and out, while preserving an envelope that has a low impact on the surroundings.

Críu Boutique Hotel - © Alessandro Castagna courtesy LineaT Studio La zona living con cucina, caratterizzata da un piano per la preparazione della colazione a vista e un ampio tavolo, è pensata e realizzata come un angolo di casa per esperienze culinarie da condividere.

A living area with kitchen and a corner dedicated to breakfast, a moment of the day to savor in contact with the other guests, form the heart of the second-floor common area. The culinary experience and a liaison with local producers is a central focus for the design, evident from the lava stone-topped open preparation space adjacent to the breakfast table. This and the other materials selected for the interiors – wooden seating, birch plywood for vertical elements, and rope used in other furnishings – all tell the story of Sicily.

Críu Boutique Hotel - © Alessandro Castagna courtesy LineaT Studio La suite è caratterizzata da un lungo corridoio vetrato, aperto verso l’esterno e di collegamento tra l’ingresso e la zona notte con letto matrimoniale e vasca freestanding.

The same refined materiality is evident in the bedrooms and the suite, which reference local elements and natural phenomena starting from their names: Cotto, Terra, Salvia, Ghiara, Lavica, Sale, Neve and Manna, five bedrooms on the first floor and three on the second. The two levels are connected via a curving Cor-Ten^® sheet steel structure staircase conservatively erected to enhance a pre-existing double-height space.

The home-like atmosphere continues in the ground floor restaurant and outdoor spaces, characterized by an idea of Mediterranean-inflected comfort.

Críu Boutique Hotel - © Alessandro Castagna courtesy of LineaT Studio | The living area with kitchen, featuring an open breakfast preparation countertop and a large table, was designed and built as a home-like corner for sharing culinary experiences.

Críu Boutique Hotel - © Alessandro Castagna courtesy of LineaT Studio | The boutique hotel’s two levels are connected by a curving Cor-Ten® sheet steel structure staircase inserted into in an existing double-volume space.

Críu Boutique Hotel - © Alessandro Castagna courtesy of LineaT Studio

Críu Boutique Hotel - © Alessandro Castagna courtesy of LineaT Studio | The suite features a long glazed hallway open to the outside that connects the entrance hall with the sleeping area, which is furnished with a king-sized bed and freestanding tub.

Críu Boutique Hotel - © Alessandro Castagna courtesy of LineaT Studio | The second-level Manna suite is named after a product from the Madonie ash tree. Versatile and refined, the ingredient’s characteristics are mirrored in its simple yet sophisticated furnishings.

Críu Boutique Hotel - © Alessandro Castagna courtesy of LineaT Studio | The environmental focus is evident from the products used in the hotel’s bedrooms, such as organic cotton towels and, where possible, recycled materials rather than plastics.

Críu Boutique Hotel - © Alessandro Castagna courtesy of LineaT Studio | The Neve deluxe room, on the second level, references the history of neviera ice houses, intertwined with the origins and creation of the original Sicilian snow cone, a typical regional product for centuries.

Críu Boutique Hotel - © Alessandro Castagna courtesy of LineaT Studio | The interior design sought a strong connection with the territory and local traditions, interpreted in a personal manner. The furniture and materials are fragranced by the Mediterranean and its perfumes.

Críu Boutique Hotel - © Alessandro Castagna courtesy of LineaT Studio | The Superior Terra room is a tribute to Sicily, an island of sun, sea, myth, contrast and passion. The room is flooded with light through large windows that run the length of the two external sides. The queen-size bed is surrounded by nature.

The Elegance of Form | Two of Quadro Design’s most iconic hotel bathroom collections, Stereo and Source, were inspired through a dialogue between a desire for essential and elegant design, and a need for a durable and adaptable products. Created by Luca Papini, Stereo was inspired by now-historic Hi-Fi stereos, whose knobs it echoes. Source combines minimal lines with the need for practicality. Both of these high quality collections are made of stainless steel.

Location: Nicolosi, Catania, Italy
Client: Angela Terranova
Completion: 2021 – Gross Floor Area: 120 m²
Interior Designer: LineaT Studio
Main Contractor: Sa Se

Photography: Alessandro Castagna, courtesy of LineaT Studio

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