Camillo Borghese, which will be later named Pope Paul V, purchased in the seventeenth century the original nucleus of Palazzo Borghese and also wanted to acquire part of the buildings, of the surrounding gardens and empty spaces, thus becoming a real “Borghese district” in the heart of the city of Rome.
The buildings acquired also include the elegant building where the Borghese Contemporary Hotel was conceived, located in the homonymous street, right in front of the main façade of the famous Palazzo Borghese. In the early nineteenth century the Princes Borghese entrusted Luigi Canina (1795-1856) with a radical restructuring of the Palace, to which we owe the current appearance of the building.
The elegant building was set according to the principles of balance and discreet refinement that characterize the work of the great architect and archaeologist from Piemonte, trusted architect of the Borghese family, which also owe the noble entrance of Villa Borghese on the side of Porta del Popolo. The current renovation project of the hotel cannot fail to take into account the historical and architectural thickness of the building which host it, or of the privileged position in which the building is located.
The Colosseum with its orders of arches, the nearby Spanish Steps, the Pantheon, the scenic landscapes of the Imperial Forums constitute the monumental identity of the Eternal City, identity from which we wanted to be inspired for the project of the new Borghese Contemporary Hotel. Timeless volumetric landscapes are placed on the walls, reinterpretations in a contemporary key of classical architecture, but also references to the Metaphysics of Giorgio De Chirico. The upholstered remind the Roman triclini and the marble washbasins of the rooms refer to the Roman Domus and the famous “Nasoni” of the fountains.
The use of warm colored velvets, marbles and, above all, travertine for the floors and coverings, underlines the strong link with the environment. The material plasters on the walls highlight the compact volumes and the colors of the lands used refer to the colors of the historic buildings of the city.
Particular attention was paid to the design of the spaces and above all to the division of the spaces in relation to the original morphology of the host building.
Boths restrooms and areas, although perfectly able to dialogue with the entire room, are detached from the walls and ceiling by “respectful” shutters that underline their nature of “box in box”.
The public areas are the synthesis of the themes exposed so far and evoke the volume of classical architecture.
A space with timeless elegance, just like the Eternal City.
