Dopo la completa riprogettazione di diverse aree, tra cui la hall, il ristorante, le sale riunioni e i bagni, uno degli hotel di riferimento a Milano sfoggia un nuovo look. La ristrutturazione, realizzata congiuntamente dall’architetto spagnolo Álvaro Sans e da Vittorio Grassi, ha donato un nuovo volto al Meliá Milano, hotel situato in via Masaccio, vicinissimo alla zona di tendenza meglio conosciuta come City Life, nuovo centro dello shopping di lusso della città.

L’approccio funzionale e architettonico del progetto di ristrutturazione ha portato alla rinascita di questo hotel nato 20 anni fa, aprendo gli spazi con la creazione di un nuovo assetto spazioso e flessibile delle aree comuni. I giardini interni, gli alti lucernari e l’uso contemporaneo di materiali e texture conferiscono al bar, al ristorante e all’area di co-working un’atmosfera sofisticata.

A first glance at the entrance and reception of the renovated headquarters of the glass distributor Van Noordenne in the Netherlands would not suggest that this is an office complex. It feels more like a luxury hotel, with its elegant design, sophisticated materials and precious interior design. For this new headquarters of Europe’s largest glass wholesaler, the firm has commissioned the interior designer Nathalie van Noordenne, who has put all of her passion and creativity at the service of this mega-project for this family company whose origins date back to 1938.

It was in the 1930s that Jan van Noordenne founded this family business. From a local company, it grew into an international wholesale business specialising in glass. Today, in its new headquarters, every effort has been made to create a warm and welcoming atmosphere in the company’s offices and restaurant.

A restaurant to match

The company’s restaurant, where Sensa Orinoco has also been used in large 2 cm thick slabs, has been conceived following the same design concept. The centrepiece of this area is the large Sensa Orinoco fireplace – an explosion of beauty when lit and a piece of sculpture when unlit. Furthermore, part of the wall has been clad with the same material. Certainly a high standard for a restaurant where customers, guests and staff can relax and enjoy an exclusive atmosphere.

The Zeeduin renovation project is situated on the corner of Franslaan with Lefebvrestraat in Nieuwpoort. After a few decades, the façades - covered with relatively thin prefab silex concrete elements - showed concrete damage due to carbonation. The client and architect opted for a total renovation for the façades, with 4 mm thick Dekton Slim plates by Cosentino, glued on a ventilated aluminium support structure.

The apartment building dates back to the 1970s and has 6 above-ground floors. The gallery terraces, made of in situ concrete with the floor slab running from the inside to the outside without thermal interruption, were fitted with a mortar-bed tiling. Water penetration caused concrete damage and general degradation of the concrete coating. The absence of façade and roof insulation also contributed to a total renovation.

The architect opted for a dark-coloured base (the ground floor) and a light superstructure to give the floors a more floating effect. “For the ground floor, we opted for a coating in fired blue bluestone, a good match with the small grey speckles, the white mass of the Nayla type and the terrace floors in a grey tone,” says Deconinck about the choice for the Dekton colour “Nayla” (white speckled).

“Thanks to its properties, Dekton delivers high-quality, technical performance compared to other existing surfaces: highly scratch-resistant, frost-resistant and thaw-resistant, and resistant to salty air and UV rays. Colour stability, dimensional stability and pressure resistance are high. With a fire reaction class A2, s1-d0, Dekton can even be used for tall buildings,” says Stephanie Bevernagie of Cosentino.

The contemporary design of the suites at Hotel Gränsö Slott blends in with the historic surroundings and coastal landscape of this resort near the idyllic town of Västervik, Sweden. The setting could not be more privileged: a castle dating back to 1800 and a private beach. There, four new beach villas with sea views have been built. These 45 m2 holiday homes feature spacious bathrooms, a bedroom, living room and large terraces. The four villas of the hotel, Lillön, Skanvik, Ekholmen and Tärnskär, have been designed in partnership with Amelie von Essen, from the AHA Anders Holmberg Arkitekter studio.

“When creating the new interior design concept for the Gränsö beach villas, the most important thing was to create a warm and welcoming space with a Scandinavian touch that integrated the surrounding nature”, explains Amelie von Essen. Dekton was chosen as the main material for the bathrooms, with this being used on the walls, floors and countertops. In addition, independent and well differentiated spaces were created, with a separate bathtub, shower and toilet.

The Ette hotel is a newly built hotel in Kissimmee, Florida, USA. There are several Disney parks in the same city. As a result, the hotel welcomes thousands of tourists every year. This 126-room hotel attracts mainly families who, after their visits to the parks, make the pool area the center of the hotel’s social life.

Both the architect and the project developer were clear about the properties of the material to be used in the construction and the façade of the pool area. They wanted a finish with the texture of natural wood which, at the same time, would blend in with the façade. Furthermore, the material needed to withstand the wear and tear of a busy area, sudden changes in temperature and even possible damage in a hurricane-prone state like Florida. In addition to the technical specifications, design played a key role: both the architect and the developer wanted the look and feel of wood for its beauty and warmth.

Dekton Odin stood out from the start as a very interesting option: firstly, because of its extraordinary strength and hardness which, together with its hazelnut colour, perfect for the modern and functional style of the hotel, provided the desired combination of strength and design; and secondly, because it also met the necessary requirements for installation with the Elemex Ceramitex® Facade system.

The Arrecife Gran Hotel & Spa is a classic style hotel on the island of Lanzarote, in the Canary Islands. Better known as the Gran Hotel, at 54 metres high and 15 storeys, it holds the record for being the tallest building on the island since it was built in 1970. The five-star hotel, which completed its renovation in April 2021, will reopen in September with fully upgraded suites.

The architect Quirina Morales is responsible for the refurbishment and interior design of these suites. For the bathroom update, she opted for a white material which contrasts with the blue of the sea and is resistant, but at the same time aesthetically pleasing. Silestone Calacatta Gold was chosen as a nod to the classic style of the hotel, which is over 40 years old.

The fifty Calacatta Gold countertops have been designed with a very modern cut that allows towels to be hung, thus avoiding the use of other elements and improving functionality. The washbasins –also in white– have been placed over the countertop, giving a neat and modern effect.

The Ritz-Carlton Abama is a five-star resort in Tenerife, the island of eternal spring. It is the perfect place to rest and relax while enjoying excellent guest service, in line with the philosophy of The Ritz-Carlton chain. With this purpose in mind, the renovation of one of its restaurants, “La Veranda”, was carried out in 2019.

The hotel has an extensive gastronomic offer with eight different restaurants, some of which have been awarded several Michelin stars. “La Veranda” is dedicated to breakfast and pop-up proposals. Therefore, this restaurant is equipped with large buffet counters where the food is beautifully presented and live cooking is performed.

During the modernisation project of the restaurant, led by Gregory de Clerck, all worktops were replaced with a single material: Dekton Olimpo. The result is a clear, relaxed and elegant atmosphere, in contrast to the warmth of the wood used in the dining area. Dekton Olimpo is a material from the Stonika collection inspired by Carrara marble. Its white colour with grey veins adds character and enhances the look of the restaurant.

The LD Sevilla hotel is located in the north of the Andalusian capital, next to a service area and motorway exit. This strategically located hotel does not compromise on style, offering its guests a distinguished experience based on quality services and attractive designs. VAU Arquitectura has been in charge of the hotel's design. The architecture studio relied on Dekton’s ultra-compact surface for a multitude of applications, using 3,100 m2 in the building.

From the exterior façade, which must withstand high levels of solar radiation, to the always busy common areas, such as restaurants and toilets, Dekton's unique features perfectly meet the needs of a bustling hotel.