Rome

Bulgari Hotel Rome

By ACPV Architects & Progetto Arte Poli

Spa area art glass windows

The 1938 building designed by the architect Vittorio Ballio Morpurgo, facing the Mausoleum of Augustus and standing beside the Ara Pacis, is now the ninth hotel in the Bulgari group. The restoration, designed by the architecture practice ACPV Antonio Citterio Patricia Viel, has brought the building in the heart of Rome back to life: the spiral staircases set within mosaics and the corridors keep the structure protected by the Soprintendenza, the Italian heritage authority, while marble and fine finishes have changed the character of the place for good. The work was entrusted to leading Italian craft workshops. Every piece was made for this project alone, and had to hold its place in a complex composition where icons of classical antiquity meet contemporary figures. The Bulgari Hotel holds that craftsmanship in every detail, all of it made in Italy.

The new spa area art glass windows

A game of colors, forms and transparencies

For the realization of the stained glass windows PROGETTO ARTE POLI used circular mouth-blown elements known as “rulli” (roundels), some of which were hand-cut while others were embellished with golden leaf. The binding was also handmade using lead, following a traditional technique that dates back millennia. The sequence of shapes, a reference to the unique pattern of the Pantheon’s floor in Rome, together with the vibrant colors and the transparency of the mouth-blown glass, make the stained glass windows truly enchanting, creating a unique atmosphere within these spaces.

The geometrical design of the Pantheon

Stained glass with lead binding

The ninth Hotel of the Bulgari Collection

The building was design in 1938 by Architect Vittorio Ballio Morpugno, overlooks the Mausoleum of Augustus and the Ara Pacis, is the ninth hotel in the Bulgari Collection. The restoration, led by the architectural firm ACPV Antonio Citterio Patricia Viel, has brought new life to this landmark in the heart of Rome. The spiral staircase surrounded by mosaics and the corridors remain untouched in their structure, protected by the Superintendency of Cultural Heritage; however, fine marbles and exquisite finishes have definitely transformed the spirit of the place. The project was entrusted to the finest firms of Italian high craftsmanship, unique workmanship capable of responding to a complex orchestration where icons of classical antiquity and contemporary figures engage in a continuous dialogue. The Bulgari Hotel houses treasures of mastery, precious details that testify to the unsurpassed value of the made in Italy.

“How to make this hotel a true jewel?
The history of our brand was started here, in Rome, and thus we had the idea of creating a treasure trove, open to our guests and the city “

Silvio Ursini, Vicepresident of Bulgari