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ARCHITECTURE / INTERIOR DESIGN

Vincenzo De Cotiis

Blending recycled materials into new surroundings in a concept that shakes up the interior of a 19th century Milan palazzo, architect and artist Vincenzo de Cotiis has achieved his goal of creating a visually striking alternative to standard hotel design.

De Cotiis is known as a designer of Haute couture fashion and his taste is reflected in Hotel Straf, which, like the fashion collections, strives for individuality and a reconsideration of accepted philosophies and methods. The Milan architect uses bare cement for stairs and floors as well as oxidised brass and split slate in his room interiors. He slips torn and aged gauze between sheets of glass and succeeds in creating an atmosphere of warmth, despite the hard materials used. The hotel – located a few steps from the Duomo Cathedral and La Scala opera house – features 64 rooms, seven of which include a massaging armchair and five for which de Cotiis has designed a so-called “well-being” corner. The corners pass on technological mod cons in favour of a simple separate area where guests can unwind in style.

Scratched mirrors, burnished brass, black slate and iron are some of the other seemingly harsh materials de Cotiis employs in his design, all to a surprisingly warm effect. Given the singularity of his work, it’s no surprise that de Cotiis thinks of the project as an art installation, for which he has employed many elements of contemporary art. The goal, he says, is “recycling objects and placing them in a new surrounding.” In doing so, he has managed to reach new levels of comfort – as the Straf’s guests can readily attest to.