By rough estimates, there are nearly 100,000 churches in all of Italy. At the centre of each city, village and rural borgo lie ancient parishes constructed in varying degrees of architectural extravagance. But as the country’s demographics change and the number of people attending mass declines, it’s no wonder that these ornate ecclesiastical spaces have become coveted stock for adaptive re-use.
Such was the case for the architects at Milan-based Quattroassociati, who were commissioned to transform a small neighbourhood church in the Fiera district of the city into a contemporary business hotel. “Instead of demolishing the church, we proposed to preserve it and establish a relationship between the old and the new,” says Quattroassociati co-founder Michele Reginaldi of the client’s brief.
According to Reginaldi, the space had all the classic trappings. “The architectural elements — which include a Latin cross plan, three naves, an apse and a brick bell tower — highlight a clear reference to a late neo-Renaissance revival,” he explains. However, in order to integrate the former church with its present context, they stripped the structure of all its religious symbols and instead shifted the focus to “the columns, the capitals and the vaults, with their decorative devices,” Reginaldi says.
The soaring whitewashed central nave now forms the outdoor entrance, complete with terrazzo flooring; a gleaming nine-metre chandelier and a gilded installation behind the reception desk that recalls the form of the chapel’s organ are positioned at either end of what was the original transept.
They then set about integrating the existing architecture into the hotel’s larger complex, a 13-storey new-build tower with 175 standard guest rooms, several high-capacity meeting rooms, a gym, a restaurant, a private garden and a rooftop pool bar (another 10 guest suites are located in the upper nave of the church).
Inspired by the classical composition of the existing pilasters, the architects extrapolated a pattern of repeating vertical sunshades. “The idea was to apply it to the surfaces of the side facades of both the church and the tower,” says Reginaldi, “unifying the different parts of the architectural whole.”
As for the interiors, Quattroassociati took a sober approach. “The rooms avoid chromatic excesses,” says the architect. They opted for pale wood for both the furnishings and the floor, wallpaper that resembles stucco finishing, and subtle gold- toned details designed to reflect the natural light that streams into the rooms. “Gold as a colour and material offers subtle mnemonic references to precious and special places,” continues Reginaldi, “creating an atmosphere filled with energy and warmth.”
A Stay at Milan’s NH Hotel is a Religious Experience
Quattroassociati transforms a deconsecrated church into Milan’s latest NH Hotel.