Hotel Fedora | Mariani Architetti

The project for Hotel Fedora in Campitello di Fassa (Trento, Italy), designed by the architect Fabio Mariani, has received a special mention in the 13th edition of the Casalgrande Padana Grand Prix architecture competition in the Shopping and Office Centres, Public and Service Buildings category, for the reasons indicated below: “As part of the comprehensive renovation of an existing hotel, the decision to choose a single grey veined porcelain stoneware material for the whole of the ground floor and outdoor spaces, using it for both the indoor and outdoor flooring, for some parts of the walls and for various counter surfaces, created a seamless look throughout the various areas in terms of colour and material, making the tiles used the signature feature of the work carried out.”

The inspiration for the project came from the surrounding alpine landscape, with its forests and naked rock, tiny villages with stone streets and wooden houses. The construction echoes the landscape with just two low-environmental-impact materials: wood and porcelain stoneware, used as an excellent replacement for stone for both ecological and functional reasons. The impressive flexibility of porcelain stoneware made it an excellent option in a variety of areas of the hotel (such as the anti-slip surfaces in the wellness centre), where it was used both on the floors and walls, as well as the stairs, for a total of more than 1,500 square metres supplied. This aided both the development of the construction site and the laying process, while helping to maintain the evocative appearance of the mountain landscape shaped by rock and trees, from which the project drew its inspiration right from the initial idea.

The architecture of the interiors was shaped through the colour and material contrast between the two materials: the stoneware tiles in various formats used for the floors and walls, and the room dividers and wood panelling created using simple wooden boards that recall the conifer forests that stand out against the rock (the porcelain stoneware) behind them.

The porcelain stoneware flooring thus forms the fabric that connects the various functional areas (Lobby, Bar, TV Room, Wellness Centre, Dining Room, stairs), which are linked visually thanks to the use of large wood and glass openings and a skilful use of mirrors.
The work on the layout regarded much of the existing ground floor, as well as an extension of around 100 square metres of the dining room. All the spaces on the ground floor are closely connected both with each other and with the exterior.

Immediately after the main entrance is the spacious Lobby, featuring a fir wood desk with a porcelain stoneware top that matches the floor, in the colour Dragon Black from the Amazzonia collection, with a straight laying pattern featuring three different tile formats (45x90 cm, 30x60 cm, 60x60 cm). On the right, visible through a series of full-length windows set into wooden beams and pillars, are the TV room and the wellness centre, as well as the outdoor garden. To the left of the reception is the bar, while on the right, again visible through a system of wooden dividers with panes of glass, is the large dining room, with the floor tiled in stoneware, like the rest of the areas, and with the same laying scheme. The lighting system built into the false ceiling shared by all the areas further enhances the seamless look throughout the hotel.