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Suite Spaces

Samantha Brooks

September 1, 2005

Aleph, Rome
All of the projects I do, especially hotels, have a story behind their design—they’re all very scripted and site-specific,” says Adam Tihany, who based the design of Rome’s Aleph hotel on Dante’s Divine Comedy. Tihany’s portrayal of the struggle between heaven and hell is demonstrated through blissful and pure private spaces like the light-colored guest rooms and spa areas, and the public areas like the lobby and restaurant, which are decorated in seductive shades of red.

“We created a restaurant in the hotel called Sin that serves only red food and, obviously, only red wine,” explains the designer, who also counts New York’s Per Se among his impressive list of restaurant designs. “The bathroom is part of the restaurant’s environment, so it was very important that we kept the same color-saturated atmosphere.” The bathroom on the hotel’s main floor, a public space, uses shimmering red Bisazza glass tiles on the walls and black granite on the floors. The troughlike, translucent glass sinks from Axolo were custom-designed by Tihany, who also chose to use Axolo’s faucetry. To keep the concept and experience consistent throughout the spaces, the lighting in the bathroom dims at the same time as the restaurant lighting does, so that the mood is never broken or interrupted—a detail Tihany considers especially important. 

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(Click image to enlarge.)

The color schemes and overall tone are vastly different in public and private spaces, but the materials used throughout the hotel are consistent. The same mosaic tiles and glass sinks unify the spaces and save the rooms from design schizophrenia. Accessories like door handles, towel racks and escutcheons were also custom designed by Tihany for Valli & Valli. “Everyone has an image in his or her mind of heaven and hell,” explains Tihany, who says he prefers sin to sainthood. “The design of the hotel forces you to think about it while also having a good time.”

Aleph, 888.626.7265, www.boscolohotels.com;
Adam Tihany, 212.366.5544, www.tihanydesign.com