At the Grand Hotel Minerva in Florence, the unmistakable presence of one of the 20th century’s most celebrated Italian architectural masters still speaks to modern interior designers
Among Carlo Scarpa’s works, there is a project that rarely, if ever, appears in guidebooks dedicated to him, yet it encapsulates many of the key themes of his design language. It is one of his lesser-known yet most refined projects: the Grand Hotel Minerva in Florence, situated in Piazza Santa Maria Novella.
Designed between 1957 and 1959 in collaboration with the architect Edoardo Detti, it is neither a simple restoration of a 14th-century building nor a modernist stylistic exercise. It is a radical yet respectful project, where every detail was born from listening to the pre-existing spaces and volumes, and frescoes and timber ceilings were carefully preserved.
The hotel is part of the Em Collection, owned by the Maestrelli family. It features 97 rooms and suites that blend art with modern Italian craftsmanship. It functions as a house-museum, showcasing works of art by Emilio Greco, Renato Guttuso, Carlo Carrà and Giuseppe Chiari that coexist harmoniously with the spaces designed by Scarpa, framing the hospitality experience in a remarkable narrative sequence.
The Grand Hotel Minerva is much more than a historic hotel: it is a permanent collection where architecture, art and design engage in a seamless dialogue. And, nearly 70 years after its renovation, it continues to be one of the most refined examples of the integration of historical heritage and contemporary design.
The article continues on DENTROCASA on newsstands and online.
Photo COLLEZIONE EM
Written by GERMANA CABRELLE
Seguici su