Ideally situated in Riva de l’Ogio, Venice’s San Polo district, is L’Orologio – a stylish 43 bedroom hotel which has recently been renovated by Baciocchi & Associati.
The central premise of this project was to preserve and add value to the historic building’s existing architectural merits, while introducing a modern, minimalistic style to the hotel interior.
The building itself features typical Venetian materials, colours and finishes, encapsulated by the Istrian stone framing the openings. The clean pattern of the façade is enhanced by the finely-designed grilles that decorate both the entrances of the hotel and the windows on the ground floor.
The original wood ceilings have been renovated and enhanced through a combined use of colour and lighting, while the staircase to the upper floors has been formed from dark wood and opus signinum, a traditional Venetian material.
The striking red hue of the quartz concrete floor creates a sense of continuity throughout the communal areas, while the high hallways on the upper levels leading to the bedrooms feature the same unifying colors and materials.
The furniture and furnishings have been carefully selected by Baciocchi & Associati, with a leaning towards vintage leather seats, armchairs and sofas. The framing motif of watches – the Italian word for watch being ‘orologio’ – is of course key to the interior, from the extrapolation and rearrangement of internal mechanisms in elegant boiseries at the reception, to the operating and faithful reproductions of notable collectors’ enamel clocks scattered throughout.
On the ground floor is the hotel bar, Bar L’O – an elegant space complete with an imposing marble fireplace, red walls and floors, an elegant stone bar and black vintage leather armchairs and sofas. The outside areas face directly onto the Grand Canal, creating a remarkable social space for the warmer months.
The guest rooms echo this same attention to materials, colour combinations and light fittings. A particular design feature present in all the rooms is an illuminated picture created with real watch mechanisms, emphasising the haute horlogerie theme.
The first collection of rooms face the Grand”Canal, and are characterised by an elegant red quartz concrete floor. Strongly classical, the rooms feature beamed ceilings, white walls, dark wood furnishings and brown leather seats.
A French red marble has been selected for the bathroom, which follows the same lines and colours of the bedroom. Elegant fixtures and accessories, designed by Studio Baciocchi, have been used.
The second set of rooms feature dark wood floors, which contrast with the white beamed ceilings and walls. The sole touch of colour comes from the chic, mustard-coloured furnishings.
Within the family rooms, the distinctive feature is the strong use of colour – the red quartz concrete floor used throughout the hotel creating a striking effect with the red beamed ceiling. In the bathroom, the red French marble of the floor matches the red fixtures positioned against white walls.
Elsewhere there is an elegant suite, spread over two levels. On the lower floor there is a bedroom and bathroom, while the attic floor hosts another bathroom and a small living room. The dove grey walls, with a matching marble in the bathroom, create a stylish and serene ambiance for guests.
