References
hospitality. Ca’ da Mosto, a striking palazzo built in the 13th century in Venetian-Byzantine style and one of the oldest palazzi on The Grand Canal, was recently given a new lease on life as a design destination and boutique bolthole. Known as the Venice Venice Hotel, the four-story waterside palace is not only a gorgeous stop-off for enlightened travelers, it also functions as a buzzing clubhouse for Venice’s growing creative community. Beneath ancient tapestries and ornate wooden ceilings, carved centuries ago for the noble family that once held residence here, and overlooking the Rialto market just across the water, the hotel marks a meeting place between the floating city’s esoteric traditions and Venice’s new vibrant spirit.
The one goal of founders Alessandro and Francesca Gallo, was, according to designer Alessandro Pedron, to “restore the creative strength of Venice”. Which they did by filling it to the brim with some of the most enchanting artworks of the past seven decades.
“Each place tells a fragment of history”, explains Pedron, “the vision of an artist or a current that has contributed to marking the world of contemporary art in the last seventy years”. Impressive works by the likes of contemporary artists Francesco Simeti, Pol Polloniato and Fabio Viale mingle with pieces by Joseph Beuys and Giuseppe Chiari, as well as objects plucked from the most influential movements of the last century, such as Arte Povera and the 1970s-era Radical Design.
With such a rich contrast of old and new animating the public spaces, the designers chose to channel the understated zen of Japanese aesthetics within the suites. A pale color palette of whites, creams and natural wood contribute to a sense of calm in the sleeping area, while features like paper walls, inspired by traditional Japanese Shoji partitions, divide the various spaces. Meanwhile, the use of bold materials in the bathroom adds a touch of drama, like the dark, richly veined marble that lines the walls and floor. Pedron also looked to the design of Japanese spas, known as onsens, for the bathroom. He chose Agape’s Vieques, which resembles the deep, relaxing basins regularly found in onsens, as the perfect place for hotel guests to unwind after a day exploring the winding streets of ancient Venice.
Request information
This feature is reserved for registered users, log in or register below
