It is a historic building in the Baroque center of Catania, redesigned as hotel which tells Sicily cinematographically.
The particular history of the building contributed to the articulation of the spaces. The original core, dating back to the ‘500, was rebuilt after the 1693 earthquake afterwards it was subjected to several changes, the last one, probably date back to the post war period, has changed the intended use until the final one known as hotel. This has been possible to read through the works of restructuring that showed the various layers. The works have tried to bring back to life the original structure while maintaining or reviving the system of vertical connections.
First Award | RTFSA 2016 Awards
Category: Hospitality (Built)
Participant  Name: Scannella Architects
Country: Italy

Hotel de Charme (1)
Hotel de Charme (1)

The concept, addressed to international customers of high profile, wants to communicate an image of Sicily especially told through the suggestions from cinema and literature.
To make it possible, nontraditional representative icons have been used and even decorative apparatus, the quotes, the lighting design, using a contemporary architectural language dedicating to each space a cinematographic work. The work has required a careful research of the significant elements of the “story” told, without neglecting to re-use some original elements of the building, reinventing use and function.

Hotel de Charme (2)
Hotel de Charme (2)

Each room is characterized by objects, shapes and colors taken from the movie to which is dedicated in order to allow the customer to soak into the atmosphere that we want to tell; everything on a simple “background” represented by the common areas, through which we perceive the complexity of the system.

Hotel de Charme (3)
Hotel de Charme (3)

Particular attention was dedicated to the relationship between the plant system and the environments, aiming to its complete integration, reaching almost the invisibility.
The charm of the interior benefits of the “popular” atmosphere that it is possible to breathe in the surrounding: the historical market of Catania, which represents an extraordinary urban landscape.
Eleven Rooms were obtained, some of which are configured as suites, dedicated to a particular director and a small Spa. Below the list:

Hotel de Charme (4)
Hotel de Charme (4)

Intervention Area: 956 sq. m.
FIRST FLOOR:
Suite Visconti Camere 1-2
1 Il Gattopardo
2  La terra trema
3 Divorzio all’italiana
4 Sedotta e abbandonata
5 Paolo il Caldo
6 Johnny Stecchino
SECOND MEZZANINE FLOOR:
Suite Tornatore camere 7-8
7 Nuovo cinema paradiso
8 Malèna
Suite Cosa Nostra camere 9a-9b
9a Il giorno della Civetta
9b Il Padrino
SECOND FLOOR:
Suite Isole camere 10-11
10 Stromboli
11 Il Postino
FIRST MEZZANINE FLOOR:
SPA- Le Gran Bleu (nearing completion)
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