The renovation project of Hotel Berna in Milan was conceived to tell the story of the city through a dialogue between two fundamental architectural and design eras: the elegant early 20th-century architecture and the “epic” design of 1950s furnishings. This cultural combination celebrates Milan’s historical identity, reinterpreted in a contemporary key.
The main challenge of the project was to intervene in a building already shaped by multiple renovations, finding a new unifying thread without compromising the original spirit of the hotel, which over the years had built its own personality and recognizability.
To address this complexity, the team developed an overall concept as a long-term strategic guide, structuring the project in phases. This approach allowed interventions to be planned without interrupting the hotel’s operations, ensuring continuity and investment flexibility over time.
The client required a balance between aesthetics and functionality, with durable and visually pleasing materials. The choice of materials was therefore crucial to enhance the spaces: the brightness and marble-like effect of surfaces enriched custom-made bathrooms and furnishings while ensuring high performance in terms of durability and maintenance, essential in a hotel context.
In particular, large-format porcelain stoneware floors and claddings enabled scenic effects, alternating modern slabs with more classic decorations. This approach combines refined aesthetics, functionality, and durability, creating an elegant, comfortable environment consistent with the hotel’s history and the city itself.
