Hotel Zancarini in Salsomagiore Terme
This historic building in the centre of Salsomaggiore Terme was constructed in the early nineteenth century and had already been operating as a hotel by the end of the century. Following many decades of use and its eventual closure, our task was to return the building to its original hospitality function, transforming it into a contemporary boutique hotel while preserving the scale and character of its historic architecture.
The project combines the reconstruction of the existing building, entirely new technical systems and a new interior concept based on a dialogue between the history of the place and a contemporary understanding of comfort.
Country: Italy
City: Salsomagiore Terme
Space: 2000 sq.m.
Time limit: 2027
From the outset, it was important to us that the historic building should become neither a museum nor a romanticised recreation of old Italy. The house already possesses its own architecture, proportions and history, so our approach was to understand the existing structure carefully and give it a new life rather than invent a past that was never there.
The future hotel will accommodate 37 rooms together with a series of public spaces including a lobby, bar, restaurant, winter garden, terrace and wellness area. Its relatively intimate scale allows it to retain the atmosphere of a private residence rather than that of a conventional large hotel.
A substantial part of the project involves a complete renewal of the building services and the adaptation of the historic structure to contemporary requirements for safety, acoustics, energy efficiency and hotel comfort. These technical interventions are integrated as discreetly as possible so that they do not interfere with the character of the original spaces.
The interiors deliberately avoid literal historicism. Rather than reconstructing an imagined past, the design brings together classical proportions, natural materials, a restrained palette and selected contemporary elements. New interventions are not intended to compete with the historic architecture, but neither are they disguised as something old.
The central idea of the project is to preserve a sense of place. Our intention is to return the building to its hospitality tradition in a contemporary language, while retaining the unhurried atmosphere and slightly old-fashioned charm of the spa town that gives Salsomaggiore Terme its distinctive character.