It isn’t too much of a stretch to state baldly that The Rooms of Rome combines three of our favourite pastimes: architecture, interior design and art. It certainly helps, too, that a couple of Wallpaper* stalwarts are so inextricably linked to the project.
Occupying the ground, fourth and fifth floors of one of the 17th-century palazzi that Rome seems to have such a surfeit of, the Fondazione Alda Fendi – Esperimenti has created a remarkable mixed-used hub which includes a suite of boutique serviced apartments that are personally operated by Kike Sarasola, the founder of the Room Mate group.
The French architect Jean Nouvel has left his indelible imprint on the 3,500sq m space, not least in the 24 grand apartments on the first, second and third floors that he has refashioned as a series of generously proportioned rooms. These, he blesses with natural light and furnishes with a sophisticated swathe of untreated concrete, steel finishes, trompe l’oeil panels that mimic a mirror reflecting an alternative dimension of the room, and midcentury inspired furniture. The elegance of the millennial ensemble set off by exposed brickwork and ancient timber beams.
For guests, the in-house diversions are, by virtue of the fact that it’s not run as a hotel, rather limited, but Sarasola cleverly works with external collaborators for everything from spa treatments and cooking lessons to museum and private city tours.
The Fondazione’s ground floor gallery is conceived as a bridge between Italian history and art, and contemporary perspectives presented as audio and visual installations. The first exhibit of Michelangelo’s Florentine and Roman architectural drawings was accompanied by Nouvel’s commentary, whilst the Renaissance giant’s L’adolescente sculpture will arrive in December on loan from Saint Petersburg’s Hermitage.
The fourth floor and rooftop on the fifth, meanwhile, have been given over Caviar Kaspia, the gallery’s soigné restaurant whose three large terraces, windows and strategically placed mirrors overlook the Forum, the Temple of Vestia, the Arch of Janus and the hills of Rome. Here, head chef Giovanni Giammarino delivers a singularly Italian menu of linguine spiked with truffles and bottarga, and ravioli stuffed with parmigiano Reggiano, alongside a bevy of marine-based delicacies such as Norwegian salmon, and Bulgarian oscietra and beluga.
INFORMATION
ADDRESS
Via del Velabro 9
-
A new Oxford Street pop-up celebrates IKEA's blue bagsIKEA's iconic blue bag gets its own pop-up concept store, the 'Hus of Frakta'.
-
Audemars Piguet and Kaws have created the Royal Oak Concept watch we didn't know we neededThe Audemars Piguet x Kaws Royal Oak Concept Tourbillon 'Companion' is slick wrist-worn art
-
A friendly rivalry coloured by kinship: Wendy Maruyama and Tom Loeser on their two-artist show'I wanted to make furniture, just not traditional furniture, but weird furniture,' says Wendy Maruyama on ‘Colorama’, a two-artist show presented at design gallery Superhouse (until 11 January 2025)
-
2,734 metres above the sea, a northern Italian hotel ensures peak happinessDesigned by Senoner Tammerle Architekten, hotel Santnerpass Hütte offers the perfect off-grid retreat amid a Unesco-protected landscape
-
Retreat to Lecce’s reborn Palazzo Zimara, a baroque gem from 1557Architect Raffaele Centonze transforms the 16th-century Palazzo Zimara into an 18-room boutique hotel in the historic city centre
-
Stella D'Italia is a Renaissance haven that tells a story of FlorenceStella D’Italia is the Florentine boutique escape by local hoteliers Matteo Perduca and Betty Soldi to know
-
Experience Cardo Roma, the contemporary Roman holiday you didn’t know you neededCardo Roma, the inaugural property of Cardo Hotels, part of Marriott Bonvoy’s Autograph Collection, caters to those seeking to merge business and pleasure
-
La Pergola, one of Rome’s most coveted reservations, gets a sumptuous renovationJouin Manku re-envisions La Pergola, the acclaimed restaurant atop Rome Cavalieri, A Waldorf Astoria Hotel
-
Surrender to these six swim-perfect outdoor hotel poolsDiscover the best outdoor hotel pools, from Amankila’s aquatic triptych by Ed Tuttle to Nicolas Party’s swimmable artwork at Le Sirenuse
-
Serenity reigns at Porto Ercole’s La Roqqa hotelStudio Palomba Serafini has designed La Roqqa, a new hotel in Italy’s Porto Ercole, with retro nods, Tuscan flair and contemporary luxury
-
New hotel Palazzo Cordusio is a tribute to Milan’s enduring panachePalazzo Cordusio, Gran Meliá’s Milan hotel debut, is set within a neo-classical icon moments from some of the city’s best-known landmarks
