Architect Patricia Urquiola is collaborating with hotelier Luis Contreras on the design of a new penthouse at the Il Sereno Lago di Como in Torno, Italy. Slated to open June 2021, the new penthouse at the Lake Como retreat will pull inspiration from the setting, infusing an artisanal materiality the complements the entire property, while also channeling the midcentury glamour of the film La Dolce Vita. Accessed via a separate elevator, the suite will comprise 1,600 square feet of living space, including a 320-square-foot terrace and 538-square-foot private garden.
Natural materials sourced throughout the region will line the penthouse, from Canaletto walnut ceilings to Palissandro Blu stone walls and Ceppo di Gre stone floors—the latter of which also adorns the hotel’s façade. Terrazzo will punctuate the geometric Ceppo floor tiles, while Verdi Alpi stone will cast a rich green hue across the living room. Custom silks designed by Urquiola will draw inspiration from 1950s scarf fashion and the landscape motifs of Lake Como as they elevate the furniture. A vertical garden designed by French botanist Patrick Blanc will descend from the suite’s terrace across the hotel’s exterior as well.
“It’s hard to put into words how excited we are to finalize the new penthouse as it has been five years in the making. It’s always a fun challenge when you want to outdo yourself,” Contreras says. “We are very happy with the outcome, the balance of the paradoxical elements of simplicity of concept and opulence in execution—this is something that is at the core of the Sereno Hotels brand and at its maximum expression here.”
