Salento, a question of feeling

«I wanted to maintain the harmony of the landscape without distorting its essence». The soul of Salento comes to life in the new Hotel & Resort Il Giardino dei Pini in Marina di Alliste, a seaside village immersed in the countryside near Lecce. We spoke to Monia Marzano, the interior designer who spearheaded the resort and spa expansion project. Alongside the existing breakfast room, kitchen and toilets and the 18 suites housed in a separate building, the main volume has been extended with the addition of new spaces and functions. These include a reception and conference room (365 m2); lobby, bar, reading room, toilets, executive office and art gallery on the ground floor (total 400 m2); and 13 ensuite rooms (450 m2) including 2 suites (each around 33 m2) on the first floor. The region’s Mediterranean feel — «while respecting its extraordinary uniqueness», explains the designer — is enhanced by the use of natural materials that stand out for their bright neutrality and a strong sense of continuity between the interior and exterior. The vegetation maintains a strong presence in the lobby and reception area thanks to the large windows overlooking the garden, while greenery is also present on the plant walls and in the planters in the lounge. «I took the same living stone that forms the dry walls of the garden and used it on the partitions in the entrance, choosing an elegant geometric design,» continued Monia Marzano. The same philosophy lies behind the choice of Apricena marble in the lobby and on the stairway leading to the first floor, the slabs chiselled to enhance their material nature. Neutral tones were also chosen for the wall tiles, which fit in perfectly with the sophisticated style of the interiors. The Urban collection from Piemme Ceramiche, chosen in a sand colour and matt finish created with 3D digital production technology, creates a powerful sense of movement and continuity in the lobby and ground floor rooms, where they are installed in a large 80×80 cm size. The beige colour scheme continues on the first floor, but in this case with the Concrete Project series from Imola Ceramica, which brings its cement effect and honed timeworn textures to the corridor (120×60 cm), guest rooms and bathrooms (60×60 cm). The bathrooms in turn feature fixtures created by the designer herself: the Start WC and bidet and the Soul washbasins for Valdama and the Slice e Flow line accessories designed for Arca. «Being an industrial designer helps me to explore a project in greater depth,» she explained. «In my work I don’t view beauty as an end in itself, but try to find a balance between proportions and volumes while devoting meticulous attention to detail.» This approach is evident throughout the entire interior design concept and especially in the choice of furnishings. «Amongst so many design icons», concluded Monia, «there was one I simply couldn’t do without: the Falkland lamp by Danese, which — as the great Bruno Munari said — is an essential component of any successful interior design project.»