Ponti lovers, put this on your must-visit list. Designed in 1961 by iconic Italian architect Gio Ponti, the Hotel Parco dei Principi in Sorrento, overlooking the Gulf of Naples, is an essential stop for architecture and design afficionados, who come to experience the all-encompassing Ponti aesthetic.
Born in Milan and trained as an architect, the prolific Ponti designed buildings, interiors, furniture, and lighting, and founded the magazine Domus. Ponti’s sensibility is on full view at the Parco dei Principi where he designed every detail of the hotel, from the furniture to the lighting to the 30 different geometric-patterned blue and white tiles used in different combinations throughout the interior. Better still, the whole color scheme is in shades of blue and white.
The hotel underwent a meticulous three-year renovation from 1999 to 2002, and is now a listed building that captures Ponti’s original vision; for more information, go to Hotel Parco dei Principi.
Above: The walls of the bar. are covered with white and blue pebbles in a geometric pattern.
Above: Even the light bulbs are blue.
Above: The hotel’s interior is in shades of blue and white, reflecting the elements of the sea and sky.
Above: The lobby walls are covered in tiles and blue ceramic pebbles.
Above: Ponti’s designs draw on the rich history of the Renaissance but with a modern twist.
Above: Each of the rooms feature majolica tiles, a type of Italian glazed pottery.
Above: The angular pool with Ponti’s elegant concrete diving board.
Above: The private jetty built for guests.
N.B.: This post is an update; the original story ran on March 26, 2010.
Have a Question or Comment About This Post?
Join the conversation