Porcelain tiles enjoy VIP status in the Radisson Santa Sofia hotel

Radisson Santa Sofia Milan, a member of the hotel group’s Radisson Collection category, was recently opened in a building formerly used as the Allianz Italia headquarters. The group’s fifth luxury hotel in Italy, it underwent a four-year conversion and remodelling project led by Studio Marco Piva, which preserved the building’s natural stone envelope and redesigned the 159 guest rooms in the style of compact urban lofts. Atelier P and Alessandro Mario Cesario worked on the interior design of the hotel’s communal spaces and the cocktail bar in the building’s former courtyard. Conveniently located between the Roman columns of San Lorenzo and the basilica of Sant’Eustorgio, the hotel takes guests on a journey back in time thanks to an interior design that recreates typically 1960s atmospheres through a skilful choice of colour, materials and textures. “Atelier P and Alessandro Mario Cesario chose a green hued palette to tie all the various sensations together. We used historical references to the 1960s’ Milanese trams and taxis in the lobby, along with colour to saturate the space and highlight the illuminated sign in the reception,” commented Atelier P when explaining their design strategy.

The architects identified porcelain stoneware as a key material for fulfilling their creative vision thanks to its technical qualities and aesthetic versatility. The meticulous choice of the tiles used on the floor, columns and walls plays a crucial role in enhancing the visual appeal of the public spaces while evoking the atmospheres of 1960s Milan. In particular, the green colour of the lobby is reflected in the marble-effect porcelain stoneware surfaces, while the columns and floor feature custom-cut tiles from Florim’s Étoile collection in the colour Crème and from the Policroma collection in the colour Alpi. The initials RC – standing for Radisson Collection – engraved on the polished porcelain surfaces add a distinctive touch.

Alongside the meticulous tiling work in the communal areas, Atelier P also used porcelain stoneware for the bar counter and tables in the Sofia Kitchen & Bar, further demonstrating the material’s versatility. In this setting it helps to create a sophisticated vintage ambience together with Florim’s Les Bijoux and Heritage Luxe collections.

The seventh-floor terrace likewise features tiles from Florim and Cedit collections: Araldica, Prexious and – here too – Policroma and Les Bijoux.