After the complete redesign of several areas, including the lobby, restaurant, meeting rooms and bathrooms, one of the landmark hotels in the Italian city of Milan is sporting a fresh new look. The renovation, carried out jointly by Spanish architect Álvaro Sans and Vittorio Grassi Architects, has given a new look to the Meliá Milano, a hotel located in Via Masaccio, very close to the trendy area known as City Life, the new centre of luxury shopping in the city.

The functional and architectural approach of the renovation project led to the rebirth of this 20-year-old hotel, opening up spaces by creating a new, spacious and flexible layout of the common areas. The interior gardens, high skylights and contemporary use of materials and textures give the bar, restaurant and co-working area a sophisticated feel.

In the Italian city of Taranto, Apulia, there is a legendary meeting place that is now coming back to life after the renovation carried out by the architect Lello Nigro. Caffè Tarentum is a historic café restaurant that has been run by the same family for 35 years. The owners want to freshen up this place that offers coffee, pastries and home-made ice cream.

This renovation, carried out by Scrimieri Lab under the supervision of Nigro, aimed to create a warm, welcoming, restrained but elegant space. Materials such as Canaletto Walnut, Dekton by Cosentino and an array of natural matt lacquered finishes have been used to add a sophisticated and very comfortable character to the café.

This eight storey building, whose façade stands out in the landscape, is situated in the residential neighbourhood Aguas Férreas, in Lugo (Spain). For its design, “one of the basic premises of the developer, Dmanán Viviendas, was to design and execute an environmentally friendly building with an appearance that would stand out from its surroundings”, explains architect Patricia Montes from Aringal SL, the architecture and engineering firm in charge of the project. Therefore, from the very beginning of the project, Aringal’s work focused on combining the client’s objectives with the philosophy of its own company, which is very committed to incorporating sustainability into its projects.

The majestic appearance of the façades and their clean design gives this building a unique character. “The straight forms, terraces, window openings and materials used are its unique features”, says architect Patricia Montes. Two materials were combined in the façades of this building, creating a play of textures: Dekton Edora, a light grey shade with a minimalist look, and Corten steel.

This innovative and forward-thinking project by Four Architects has created a relaxing and welcoming space at a Manchester office building for commuters to shower and change after cycling into work.  Dekton in 4mm Kreta was specified for the walls and 8mm Lunar for the flooring, both from the Industrial collection, along with 11 Exelis shower trays in Nolita and three Silence basins in Miami Vena.

Dekton is a carbon neutral product for its entire life cycle, making it a truly sustainable choice perfect for climate conscious contractors.  It’s also highly durable as it’s resistant to UV rays, scratches, stains and thermal shock and it can also be used for wall cladding and flooring both inside and out for a fully co-ordinated look

The former Finnish State Railways VR headquarters building, originally designed by Eliel Saarinen and completed in 1909, has been transformed into a Scandic Hotel. The building is strongly tied to Helsinki’s railway station, an important part of the cityscape as well as culturally and historically significant, as it served as the railway administration headquarters for almost a century. The design work on the hotel was exceptionally demanding. The building is protected under the Act on the Protection of the Built Heritage.

Representing Eliel Saarinen’s Art Nouveau style, the former Finnish State Railways VR headquarters building was renovated and expanded into an elegant hotel with almost 500 rooms as well as meeting and event facilities. The cultural and historical landmark’s demanding renovation and change of use was carried out in cooperation with the Finnish Heritage Agency and the city of Helsinki.

The renovation was an exceptionally demanding project. Protected parts of the building include its entire exterior and roofing, as well as its main lobby, main staircase and hallways, the longest of which is 159 metres long.

Food as a language of love. This is how renowned chef Aitor Jerónimo Orive sums up his passion for gastronomy, heritage of his homeland, the Basque Country, a region in northern Spain. “My grandparents are wonderful cooks and I always caught them in the kitchen, stirring a pot of hot, hearty and incredibly delicious food”, Aitor recalls. For Aitor, the logical step was to become a chef and open his own culinary space. So far, nothing unusual. Except that he opened his restaurant in Singapore, more than 11,000 kilometres away from home. It was there that he opened the Basque Kitchen, a Michelin-starred restaurant where Basque cuisine has become part of international cultural heritage.

Now, after several years of hard work that have earned him the appreciation of the general public, the Basque Kitchen by Aitor moves to the historic building The Fullerton Waterboat House, and does so under the guidance of the design studio Grey Matters, featuring Dekton as the reference material. “Moving from Amoy Street to its new location was a bold move that required careful planning. Redefining a brand that has such history and so much prestige is a task that must be handled with delicacy, sensitivity and the utmost care so as not to undermine all the hard work that the Chef and his team have put in over the last few years”, explains the studio.

Pour la troisième année consécutive, Cosentino est le partenaire de référence de l’Équipe de France dans le célèbre concours international de cuisine, le Bocuse d’Or. Cette année, il a également contribué à la rénovation de la cuisine du Refuge d’Écully, situé à 10 kilomètres de Lyon et tout près de l’Institut Paul Bocuse, où l’équipe du chef Davy Tissot se prépare pour la compétition.

Deux couleurs Dekton d’une grande beauté ont été utilisées dans la rénovation de la cuisine : Kovic pour le revêtement mural et Laurent pour le plan de travail. En choisissant Dekton, la propreté, la fonctionnalité et d’excellentes performances à des températures élevées étaient primordiales. Le résultat est une cuisine moderne et parfaitement équipée, mais élégante et intemporelle à la fois.

Le Dekton Laurent s’inspire de la pierre naturelle de Port Laurent et présente une finition presque spectaculaire avec des veines brunes et dorées. Un contexte très théâtral pour présenter les mets qui seront jugés par le meilleur des jurys.

Noli Studios is the first co-living project developed by NREP (Nordic Real Estate Partners) in the historic neighbourhood of Katajanokka, in Helsinki. For this first project, NREP wanted the best partners and therefore entrusted the renovation and interior design to dSign Vertti Kivi & Co, a company with extensive experience in office, restaurant and hotel projects.

The project involved a change of use of a 1940’s office building. Work began at the end of 2016 and was completed three years later, in October 2019. A total of 263 studios of between 18 and 24 m2 were built, with a total built-up area of 12,000m2. In short, a project of significant scale that needed to “do well” in order to be replicated in other Helsinki neighbourhoods. Indeed, NREP opened a second co-living in November 2020 and expects to expand to a further ten new hotels in the next five years.

The renovation process was not without its challenges. For the renovation of the façade, the dSign team was forced to completely remove the old brick façade, even out the different floor heights and level the original concrete pillars. For three years, architects, contractors, site managers and even the Finnish Heritage Agency made a huge effort to meet the deadlines.

In June 2019, the Anarchitect studio completed this stunning luxury villa of more than 3,000m2 of gross floor space, in Dubai Hills, winner of the Interior Design of the Year 2019 (CID Awards). This private home is designed according to the principles of modern architecture, using large volumes of natural stone. The two-level home has a beautiful interior courtyard that allows air and natural light to enter and connects the indoor and outdoor spaces.

The use of natural stone throughout the project relates to the harsh weather conditions of Dubai and the studio’s taste for ‘mouldable’ handcrafted materials. In the case of the open kitchen and bar area, the client specifically wanted a material that, in combination with natural stone, would withstand the demands of family and social life. Dekton Kelya stands out as the best solution, just like the Boffi kitchen and the bar designed by the Anarchitect studio.

Dekton Kelya is a material from the Natural Collection in a black colour with fine light veining reminiscent of dark marble. In this project, it has been used for the worktop of the kitchen island and the bar in the social area of the home. The contrast between the black Kelya and hazelnut-coloured wood creates a warm and cosy mix of colours and textures.