L’hotel Parco dei Principi di Sorrento, come il Parco dei Principi di Roma e l’hotel Royal di Napoli, è il risultato del lungo sodalizio tra Gio Ponti e l’ingegnere e imprenditore Roberto Fernandes. Nel 1959 Fernandes acquista Villa Poggio Siracusa, un incompiuto castello in stile gotico-inglese, con l’intenzione di trasformare la villa in una struttura alberghiera. L’edificio è composto da un basamento tufaceo per i primi due livelli seminterrati; sopra questa grande platea basamentale è adagiato il piano terra, destinato ai principali servizi di accoglienza (reception, bar, sala relax) e contraddistinto da una grande sala ristorante, completamente rivolta verso il mare, che culmina con una terrazza a sbalzo, palcoscenico ideale sul golfo di Sorrento. Al di sopra di questo piano si trovano le stanze degli ospiti organizzate su quattro livelli. Le camere sono disposte lungo tre lati, distribuite tra il fronte mare, il parco ed il prospetto laterale verso la villa Cortchacow. Nei prospetti delle camere Gio Ponti accentua i motivi verticali, attraverso l’uso di un ordine gigante che inquadra le profonde logge verso il mare. Questa tensione verticale, che termina verso l’alto in un fastigio in ferro verniciato, riprende i motivi della preesistente struttura e di alcuni fra i luoghi più celebri e paradigmatici della costiera amalfitana. Accanto all’albergo, in corrispondenza di un antico giardino di inverno, Gio Ponti realizza una piscina che si caratterizza per la presenza di un trampolino che emerge improvviso al centro della vasca. Negli ambienti interni, riproponendo gli esperimenti realizzati per le ville Arreaza a Caracas e Nemazee a Teheran, Gio Ponti applica il principio della bicromia (bianco e blu), disegnando trenta diversi decori all’interno della stessa piastrella 20×20 cm. I motivi delle ceramiche sono geometrici o naturalistici, ciascuno con un numero differente di possibili composizioni. Questa grande varietà di soluzioni ha consentito alle cento stanze dell’albergo di avere ognuna un pavimento unico. L’abituale collaborazione di Ponti con gli artisti prosegue anche nell’hotel di Sorrento: le decorazioni musive al piano terreno sono state realizzate da Fausto Melotti, mentre alcuni arredi interni sono opera di Ico Parisi. I lavori dell’albergo, iniziati nel 1960, terminano nel 1962. Tra il 1999 ed il 2004 l’albergo è stato ristrutturato dall’architetto Fabrizio Mautone, autore di un “oculato restauro del moderno”. “Cielo azzurro, mare azzurro, isole azzurre, maioliche azzurre, piante verdi, rose ai piedi della principessa, orma di danzatrice“. (Gio Ponti) Click through the slideshow for more images of the hotel. A fitting crown tops the Parco dei Principi hotel, Gio Ponti's Sorrento masterpiece. Located on the grounds of the 1792 Villa Siracusa, Ponti's 1961 design is set amidst a tropical garden featuring dozens of species of rare and exotic palms. Roberto Fernandes commissioned Ponti to design the 96-room hotel atop the ruins of a nineteenth century English Gothic castle. In many respects, the design feels at once hypermodern (for 1961 perhaps) while maintaining cognizance of its regal heritage—Ponti would write, "For life to be great and full we have to combine the past with the future." Parco dei Principi Sorrento The lobby gives visitors an immediate sense of the hotel's design vocabulary. With the exception of some wood accents, almost every surface is either blue or white. Thousands of ceramic "pebbles" are set into the walls, adding an almost unbelievable level of workmanship and craft to the interior. The lobby's waiting area includes a few vignettes of Ponti's original furnishings, which are clad in their original upholstery (though restored in a recent renovation). This set-up includes the 899 armchair and sofa.
Although the elevators' interiors were one of the few things to be upgraded in a recent renovation, Ponti's elaborate graphic designs for the ceramic pebble surfaces remain intact. Small details—such as the hallway's square overhead lights set at an angle to create a diamond pattern—make the most of the prosaic materials available in post-war Italy. The 96 rooms face either the park or the ocean, and they are all outfitted with nearly identical furnishings, including these custom-designed headboards covered in blue laminate. Buttons to the side operate the mechanical louvers and bedside lights. Blue laminate is also featured prominently in the built-in cabinetry. Our room was also outfitted with this custom designed desk with attached mirror and an iconic Superleggera chair. Even the reading light was worth writing home about—and of course fit the color palette. A view of the sea through the wrought iron balustrade on our room's balcony. Perhaps the hotel's most distinctive features are the 30 custom tile patterns, which Ponti designed; they were executed by a local producer, Ceramica D'Agostino, in nearby Salerno. Our room featured the first pattern he conceptualized, which was purportedly his favorite. On a tour, we got the chance to see a number of the other patterns used throughout the hotel. With variations in their placement, almost every room has a unique tile layout. Almost all the patterns feature the same shades of blue and white, thought by the architect to produce a calming effect. This design was only used in the main dining room. A design from one of the park-facing guest rooms. By rotating the individual tiles, this pattern alone could create four distinct layout configurations. The impression of a 3D relief was overwhelming with this pattern. In the lobby, marble frames the laurel-like pattern. In this tessellation, crescent moons form circles. This starburst pattern graces the downstairs bar. The bar itself is faced with more ceramic pebbles with the lobby's color scheme in reverse. One can only imagine how swinging it must have been in 1962. The lounge is faced with more sculptural tiles by Fausto Melotti and furnished with a few of the only non-Ponti-designed pieces in the hotel. The seats are the 865 series by Ico Parisi. Throughout the first floor lounge and lobby areas, clever lamps made from folded metal are set atop Melotti's tiles. Giant pillars in the lobby are reminiscent of Ponti's faceted design for the Pirrelli tower in Milan. Even the mailbox is of original vintage. Modernist postcard enthusiasts rejoice! One of the hotel's most celebrated features—a free-form pool with a swim-through island and diving board rising from its depths—was closed during our February stay. Our view across the Bay of Naples to Vesuvius has been enjoyed since Roman times. Incredible! What better way to end the day than with an Amalfi sunset. Ciao! Don't miss a word of Dwell! Download our FREE app from iTunes, friend us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter! |
Hotel parco dei principi sorrento gio ponti
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