Located in the Brera district in the historic centre of Milan, the Bulgari Hotel marked the brand’s debut in the world of hospitality. The project involved the meticulous conservation and renovation of a 1950s building, which itself incorporated earlier historical structures dating back to the 17th century. The transformation uncovered a hidden urban retreat, combining Milanese discretion with contemporary sophistication.
The original architecture, with its austere façade, was reimagined with a focus on elegance and lightness. Rhythm, depth and materiality were central to the redesign, which introduced dark wood window frames and refined materials, including stucco Comacino, black Zimbabwe granite, teak and patinated copper.
The site’s layered history is reflected in its garden. Once the vegetable plot of a 17th-century monastery and later the French-style garden of Palazzo Lucini-Passalacqua, this 4,000-square-metre green space now serves as the hotel’s private garden: an enclave of topiary, climbing roses and native vegetation, bordering the historical Botanical Gardens and enclosed by a living green wall.
Public areas such as the entrance lobby, restaurant, bar, lounge and wellness area are defined by their generous proportions and tactile finishes: Burmese teak, black granite, refined plaster and bronze. The restaurant opens onto the garden, with a suspended lenticular ceiling and black oval resin counter.
The guest rooms were conceived as fluid sequences of functions, entrance, living, sleeping and bathing, enhancing the spatial experience.