Friday, July 6, 2012

CONSERVATORIUM HOTEL - AMSTERDAM by Piero Lissoni

Conservatorium Hotel Amsterdam occupies the famous site of Amsterdam’s former Sweelinck music conservatorium. Originally built at the end of the 19th Century and conceived by the renowned Dutch architect Daniel Knuttel as the Rijkspostspaarbank Building, the construction heralded an urban regeneration of the Museumplein, an area which had been left previously derelict. Knuttel was praised for his ability to fuse simplicity and functionality, and the award-winning Milan-based furniture and interiors designer Piero Lissoni has embraced this tradition through the re-incarnation of this spectacular building 100 years later.
Against the backdrop of the building’s incredibly rich history, the hotel has been consistently imbued with Lissoni’s signature style. Known for his austere lines, demure fabrics and shades of grey that are occasionally dotted by the appearance of bright accents, Lissoni is considered one of the most prominent and exciting contemporary Italian designers. His clean designs are a hybrid of modernist and contemporary chic and contrast playfully with the on-going bath of natural daylight throughout the building’s airy spaces. Furniture from leading Italian manufactures such as Living Divani, Kartell and Cassina sit prominently in all communal spaces while accent pieces such as vintage Asian rugs provide a sense familiar comfort.