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.

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.

O projeto de renovação Zeeduin está situado na esquina da Franslaan com a Lefebvrestraat em Nieuwpoort. Depois de algumas décadas, as fachadas - cobertas com elementos de concreto de silex pré-fabricados relativamente finos - mostraram danos no concreto devido à carbonatação. O cliente e arquiteto optaram pela renovação total das fachadas, com placas Dekton Slim de 4 mm de espessura da Cosentino, coladas sobre estrutura de suporte de alumínio ventilado.

O prédio de apartamentos data da década de 1970 e possui 6 andares acima do solo. Os terraços das galerias, em concreto in situ com laje de dentro para fora sem interrupção térmica, foram equipados com ladrilhos de argamassa. A penetração da água causou danos ao concreto e degradação geral do revestimento. A ausência de isolamento de fachada e telhado também contribuiu para uma renovação total.

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.

O design contemporâneo das suítes do hotel Gränsö Slott dialoga com o conjunto histórico e a paisagem litorânea deste local localizado próximo à idílica cidade de Västervik, na Suécia. O contexto não poderia ser mais privilegiado: um castelo de 1.800 e um cenário natural com praia particular. Nele foram criadas quatro novas villas de praia com vista para o mar. As pequenas casas de veraneio medem 45 metros quadrados e contam com amplos banheiros, quarto e sala de estar, além de grandes terraços. Lillön, Skanvik, Ekholmen e Tärnskär são os nomes de cada uma dessas villas nas quais Gränsö Slott investiu em um design de interiores criado em colaboração com Amelie von Essen, do estúdio AHA Anders Holmberg Arkitekter.

“Ao criar o novo conceito de interiores para as casas de praia de Gränsö, o importante era criar um espaço aconchegante e acolhedor com um toque escandinavo que incorporasse a natureza circundante”, explica Amelie von Essen. Para o banheiro, especificamente, foram criados espaços independentes e diferenciados, com banheira, chuveiro e vaso sanitário separados, e o Dekton foi escolhido como material principal, aplicado em paredes, pisos e bancadas.

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.