Following the recent opening of Scarpetta in Tokyo, New York-based LDV Hospitality is bringing the popular Italian concept to Rome, inside the new InterContinental Rome Ambasciatori Palace.
The 160-room hotel occupies a Neoclassical building designed by Italian architect Carlo Busiri Vici that was originally constructed to host ambassadors staying in the Eternal City. LDV partnered with locally based interior designer Anton Cristell to craft the property’s two onsite dining options: the ground-floor Scarpetta and rooftop concept Charlie’s.
For Scarpetta, Cristell anchored the eatery with a strong sense of place via materials and motifs that nod to Roman origin—like columns and large arched windows—and elevate the existing architecture. The flooring in Scarpetta’s bar area comprises travertine and Rosso Levanto marble sourced from Italy that’s arranged in a pattern derived from a mosaic dating back to 200 AD. Throughout the space, tones of mauve, plum, and a subdued blue are grounded by wood millwork, enriched by leather furnishings.
“For Scarpetta’s debut in Italy, original design standards were enriched for this old-world context,” Cristell says. “This venue is tailored to the Eternal City’s layers of history where maximalism overrides sobriety and textures and finishes overlap to bring to light a savory space.”
Crowning the property is indoor-outdoor rooftop bar Charlie’s, also designed by Cristell, which features a medley of colors and patterns inspired by 1960s Rome and Manhattan’s East Harlem neighborhood, punctuated by lush greenery.
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