An ancient traditional building belonging to the late 18th century, located in Lecce, Italy, becomes an home suites hotel that reinterprets traditional mediterranean elements into modern materials, enriched with soft shapes and vibrant colours, innovative materials and playful details.
LivingU is a home suites hotel located in the core of Lecce made up by 14 different sized apartments which combine the comfort of a home with the luxury and quality standards of an hotel. The building has been refurbished with a modern reinterpretation of traditional Mediterranean elements, enriched with soft shapes and vibrant colours, innovative materials and playful details.
The building
The building is a traditional local mansion of the 18th century located in a strategic area of the city of Lecce.
It is made up by 14 different sized apartments, called home suites, because they combine the comfort of a family house with the services and the quality standards offered by an hotel.
The building develops onto three levels: the ground floor dates back to the late 1700 while the upper floors have been added around the ‘70s. The apartments at the ground floor present high pavilion vaults and have been treated differently from the levels above, in matter of colours and materials chosen. Blue and gold surfaces are the common thread between the three floors.
The Courtyard
The central Mediterranean patio is the core of the mansion that gives access to the apartments located at the ground floor while it is where the upper floors overlook. It is a small hence elegant, quiet space, enhanced by the use of traditional colours and materials with contemporary hints. For the covering it has been used a modern interpretation of the local limestone of Lecce.
Ground floor’s apartments
The six flats located at the groundfloor are characterized by high ceilings and soft colors. The cream colored low contrast terrazzo flooring and luminous white walls are enriched by green tiles of different gradients and shapes, that is possible to find as a covering for the bathroom and the kitchen. The reuse of antique furniture and materials is one of the feature at the base of this project. The flats have been furnished with antique furniture and the decorated local cement tiles pavement of the bedrooms has been removed, regenerated and used as heads for the beds.
The Staircase
Once you pass through the blue entrance doors, the staircase is right in front of you and it is probably the most poetic element of the whole building. The original handrail has been replaced by a series of amber colored reflecting glass panels, which create an interesting and dreamy light trick. The marble stair covering has been kept as it was originally.
First and second floors’ apartments
If the use of soft colors was the peculiarity of the ground floor’s flats, a different approach was taken for the apartments on the higher levels. In fact, here, the observer is captured by the presence of vivid colours, playful materials, fine lighting systems and soft shapes. Just like the courtyard also here it is possible to find a modern interpretation of traditional materials, such as the eye-catching terrazzo texture used in the bathrooms and to give accenture to the living room and the to kitchen area. Some hints of blue and yellow painting have been added to enhance the ceilings, the inner curve of the arches and to give emphasis to some walls. All the cozy bedrooms are furbished with a bespoke blush wall wardrobe with an integrated desk.
- Team : Archistart Studio
- Photos : Pierangelo Laterza
- Location : Lecce
- Completion year : 2022