ALBA

Walking into Alba, one is welcomed into an entrance hall paved in marble. The colonnade before the sweeping staircase evokes a tale of old, yet on closer inspection the layers of modification over time become clear. The wall leading into the reception once had a central opening framed in decorative masonry, which we retained as a focal point. On either side, two later openings already existed. We chose to keep them for visibility into the reception, but reimagined their expression: the beams were celebrated rather than concealed, painted in the deep blue that would become the project’s identifying feature, paired with a white mesh and integrated lighting. In this way, the structure itself was brought to the forefront, both functional and atmospheric, establishing the visual language of the project from the very first step inside.

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