After a six-month renovation Four Seasons Hotel Milano has reopened in the heart of Milan’s fashion district, unveiling contemporary interiors conceived by designer and architect Patricia Urquiola.
Situated in a former 15th century convent, Four Seasons Hotel Milano first opened its doors in 1993. At the time it was the Canadian luxury hospitality brand’s first hotel in continental Europe, setting the standard for Milan and beyond. Today the Hotel reveals the exciting renovation of its lobby area, restaurant, bar and beloved garden made possible by the owners Gruppo Statuto.
The renewed spaces artfully balance a fresh new style while preserving the Hotel’s timeless allure and sophisticated beauty.
Four Seasons Hotel Milano, a destination synonymous with fashion and design, has chosen to partner with architect Patricia Urquiola. Originally from Spain, Urquiola lives and works in Milan, where she studied under the mentorship of the great design master Achille Castiglioni. Her transformation of the spaces provides an ideal backdrop for Four Seasons trademark personalised service and its new restaurant and bar offering.
In the lobby neutral and light colours interplay with the original frescoes and period features of the former convent, while the walls have been enriched with bronze inserts and mirrors. A variety of hanging lamps, table lamps and floor lighting by Cassina, Aggiolight Custom Lamps and Flos tastefully punctuate the space. Fabrics and screens create an intimate and elegant atmosphere, while the unique ceiling with rectangular inserts creates a frame within a frame, instantly giving the space a timeless and recognisable look. Furniture classics from Italian design brands Cassina, Poliform, Moroso, Poltrona Frau and Stepevi decorate the areas.
Through the lobby guests reach Zelo, Milan’s new restaurant helmed by Executive Chef Fabrizio Borraccino. During the day the restaurant changes its identity to Zelo Bistrot, and the expanded outdoor area allows for seating both inside and out. Zelo Bistrot offers a menu of light and playful dishes, while in the evening Zelo proposes both an à la carte menu as well as a tasting menu of the Chef’s surprising creations. The menu has been completely reinvented to reflect the clientele’s evolving tastes and Chef Borraccino’s ever increasing focus on pure Italian cuisine and his scrupulous attention to selecting the best local producers. Seasonality and sustainability are at the core of Zelo’s new menu, which leads guests on a sensorial journey through Italy.
Stilla, the new bar, is destined to become the beating heart of Milan social life. Positioned to the left of the lobby, the circular bar is the protagonist of the indoor space, elegantly appointed with cognac leather armchairs and velvet seating and sofas in shades of red and dark green. Guests can also sit outside in the Hotel’s enchanting garden. Stilla is a great spot to meet from morning until night, whether for a coffee, a quick bite or cocktails. The new menu created by bar manager Luca Angeli surprises with innovative new signature drinks and a focus on ice craftsmanship. The eclectic menu features everything from Aeropress American coffee to a classic club sandwich to the town’s best Negroni Sbagliato. Health conscious guests will be delighted to find light plates and salads, with a focus on sustainable and seasonal ingredients.
“For Four Seasons Hotel Milano my goal was to renew the space while respecting the history of the Hotel and simultaneously entering into a dialogue with the urban context of Milan. Top of my mind was how fond regular clients are of the Hotel, so the challenge was to reinterpret the space, which is truly a statement destination in the city, in a contemporary lens with the accent on the heritage of the building that expresses itself in the frescos that still adorn the cloister today. The common areas of the Hotel are the perfect expression of its personality. Through the use of sober colours and pure shapes that recall the building’s 15th century past, my aim was to balance the relationship between light and space with an emphasis on the precious period features,” states Patricia Urquiola.
The Hotel’s cloister garden, which hosts seating areas for both the bar Stilla and restaurant Zelo, has been renewed by landscape architect and agronomist Flavio Pollano, an expert in vertical green, botanics and garden design. Pollano’s objective was to celebrate the history of the plants and trees that were already part of the garden and underline the storied image of this urban oasis. What has changed is the interpretation of the space, which now sees nature take over from geometry to become a “garden to be experienced and felt,” as Pollano says. “The new garden breaks away from the structures of the past without touching its original soul. The concept is that of an evolving space designed to be enjoyed.” The garden will also host a new raw bar, where guests can enjoy delectable food and drinks on long summer evenings while listening to the tunes of a DJ.
The renovated areas also feature carefully curated contemporary artwork selected to interplay with the Hotel’s past. Among the artists chosen are Sophie Ko, Matthew Shlian, Vanessa Beecroft, Crow Studio, Joergen Craig Lello & Tobias Arnell, lrene Kung, Massimo Listri and Louise Mertens.
