RIVISTA INTERNAZIONALE DI ARREDAMENTO DESIGN ARCHITETTURA
N. 314 - LUGLIO 2007
EDIZIONE ITALIANA
AS SEEN ON AD
The evocative horizon of Capri is entrusted to the gaze of a bronze sphinx from the late 1800s, already present at the villa prior to the restoration. The hotel is set into a hillside overlooking the sea, just beyond the harbour of Marina Grande. RIGHT: the entrance, simple and dignified, marked by an old palm tree.
CAPRI NIGHTS THE J.K. PLACE CAPRI HOTEL REVIVES THE ISLAND’S MYTH WITH AN IMAGINATIVE SPIRIT OF LANDS BEYOND THE OCEAN DESIGN BY MICHELE BÖNAN TEXT BY CESARE CUNACCIA PHOTOGRAPHS BY MASSIMO LISTRI
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apri is simply mythical. Not even overexposure by the media, the assault of mass tourism, or globalisation can touch its mystery, the significance of a legend unstained for more than two thousand years, since the Roman Emperor Tiberius chose the pale rocks of Capri as his principal residence and made it the centre of the world. A myth, as we said, nurtured by centuries of imagination, by the imperial idleness in Tiberius’ Apragopolis as well as by the memories of Axel Munthe and a constellation of Russian political refugees and eccentric Brits and Scandinavians, from the golden age of the ’20s of the Futurists and the divine Marchioness Casati to the star system of “Hollywood on the Tiber ” and the contribution of 20th century icons the likes of Mona Bismarck, Jackie O. and Curzio Malaparte. “Capri and no longer Capri,” explained Raffaele La Capria in one of her celebrated
BELOW:
along the stairway with a balustrade of oriental inspiration designed by Michele Bönan, Portrait of Lady Ashley, an oil on canvas by Stanley Grimm, 1950, and black-andwhite photographs depicting some of the famous guests of Capri. RIGHT: the lounge. Sofa with armchair produced on a design by Bönan, vintage ottomans by Flair, and an early 20th century Chinese console.
An exterior view with a picturesque glimpse of the Sorrento Peninsula in the background. The Penthouse Rooms faces directly onto the large terrace with teak floor and tables and umbrellas by Gloster.
REFINED COMBINATIONS AND ATTENTION TO DETAIL
LEFT:
in the JKitchen Lounge & Restaurant, the wide plank wood floors are painted black. On the wall, art photograph by Massimo Listri. ABOVE: in the bar area, the boar skin barstools are produced by Chelini. ABOVE RIGHT: also in the JKitchen Lounge & Restaurant, a Chinese porcelain vase three metres tall and a collection of plaster casts of coins from the early 1900s on the wall. Tables and armchairs designed by Bรถnan. Fabrics by Dedar. RIGHT: from the dining room, a charming view en enfilade of the other rooms.
books. It is difficult to approach such a fascinating and immense plot, to contend with such a preponderant genius loci and with the siren allure of this island suspended over the waters of the Gulf of Naples. Difficult, but not impossible. Taking the place of the Palatium, a hotel with a long tradition set into a hillside directly overlooking the sea, just beyond the harbour of Marina Grande, the new J.K. Place Capri has risen to this challenge brilliantly. With twenty-two rooms, twenty of which with a sea view, opening onto the azure charm and classical air of the Gulf of Naples, the hotel is suffused with a cosy luxury, more like a private residence than a hotel. Michele Bรถnan, the Florentine architect who in his native city was responsible
ABOVE:
in a guest room, an elegant canopy bed. in the library, white wooden bookshelves with glossy mahogany interior. The rug, sofa, armchair, and table are by Bรถnan; the accent pillows are vintage. BELOW: statue of a faun in a corner of the dining room. LEFT:
A SINISTRA:
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il bar del ristorante accoglie un vaso in porcellana cinese alto tre metri e una raccolta di calchi in gesso di monete del primo ’900, alla parete. Tavoli e poltroncine disegnate da Bönan. Tessuti di Dedar. SOPRA: nella biblioteca, le librerie sono di legno bianco con l’interno in mogano lucido. Tappeto, divano, poltrona e tavolino sono di Bönan, i cuscini sono vintage. QUI A DESTRA: l’architetto fiorentino Michele Bönan.
WARM COLOURS AND STYLISH FURNISHINGS RENEW TRADITION
LEFT : the breakfast corner in one of the hotel’s guest rooms. Armchairs and coffee table designed by Bönan, white parquet floor. Fabrics by Dedar and sconces by Estro. ABOVE INSET : centuries-old trees protect guests’ privacy while relaxing at the pool. ABOVE : refined furnishings and style in the TV zone as well. ABOVE RIGHT : the utmost attention to details also in the service. RIGHT : exquisite combinations of materials, furniture, and colours give special warmth to this suite.
for the concept of the first of the hotels owned by the group headed by Ori Kafri, has been extraordinarily successful in evoking the endless chapters of the deeply rooted memory of Capri, pages of masterful décor that combine anglophile hints with references to Palm Beach and the Hamptons, neoclassical nuances overlaying free associations of the tastes of the Cerio family, the “reigning” Capri family for almost a century, from the late 1800s onward. The guiding thread is the inimitable glamour of Capri in the 1950s and ’60s, the years dominated by such outstanding international habitués as Emilio Pucci, who opened his first boutique at La Canzone del Mare, Gracie Fields, Hubert de Givenchy, Lee Radziwill, and the Prince of Hesse. Throughout the hotel, black-and-white photographs recount this radiant mythology and Pompeiian bronzes and plaster casts evoke the archaeological imprinting of the island, the stylised mark of the furniture designed by Bönan. A palette of vivid and Mediterranean colours designs the walls, with pure white moulding and hints of capitals. The expansive terrace facing the city of Naples gives the
illusion of being on the deck of an enormous yacht. The teak flooring and wicker chairs invite meditation, dreaming. Vesuvius, sleepy and sly, dominates the broad horizon like a true master of the house, almost dilated by a thousand reflections of sunlight on the sapphire and emerald canvas of the sea. The J.K. is the only hotel on Capri with direct access to the beach. The smell of the sea, the sound and force of the Tyrrhenian enhance the hotel’s charm, vibrating with poetic accents. The guest rooms offer further evocations. White lacquered wood floors, one’s gaze free to lose itself in a unique panorama, grey marble in the bathrooms, fabrics in golden yellow, absolute white, and navy blue, inspirations of the ’60s and ’70s from the decorative vocabulary of David Hicks. The restaurant – the JKitchen Lounge & Restaurant –, a new point of reference for island cuisine that revisits the local tradition with intelligence and lightness, is actually not a true restaurant and does not have a set menu but, according to the season, suggests unexpected delights with an ancestral fragrance of home. The refined and familiar welcome so
A spectacular sweeping vista of Marina Grande and the Sorrento Peninsula from the terrace of the J.K. Place. Flooring in teak plank. The chairs, settees, and tables are by Gloster.
LEFT:
a suffused and cosy luxury and masterful decorative interplays expanded by the presence of the linear mirror. a black-and-white photograph by Franco Pace acts as the line of demarcation for the play of symmetry created by the doors and armchairs. BELOW: a corner for reading and relaxing in one of the suites, where your gaze is free to lose itself in a unique panorama. ABOVE:
typical of Capri pervades each dish in a simple style that combines the impressive details of the Chef with the traditional and delicious simplicity of Caprese cuisine in a cheerful, relaxing atmosphere, unique for every occasion, from breakfast to dinner. At the J.K. Place Capri, the illusion of enjoying the spaces of a private residence is absolute, and the service, diligent and attentive, is almost tailored ad personam. The garden, fragrant with lemon trees and shaded by opulent palms, features a large heated pool in the centre. In the background, the pavilion holds the fitness centre. Mirrored arches conceal the sauna, Turkish bath, and gym with view of the sea. And if the fateful Piazzetta seems far away, transfers are assured up to the wee hours by an electric car and a minivan. Or, if you prefer, you can scale the stairways and gentle climbs that zigzag through magnificent citrus groves and vegetable gardens, that caress old chipped walls, porticoes, and charming old homes. And suddenly, in an unexpected glimpse, the sea and the sky will seem to be one. This, too – you can be sure –, is the magic of Capri.
The armchairs and rug are designed by Michele Bรถnan, the accent pillows covered in fabric by Dedar. The black-and-white photographs are by Christopher Draghi. White leather stool by Chelini. OPPOSITE PAGE : from a guest room to a terrace to the gardens, every corner of the J.K. Place offers moments of true serenity.
GDS CODES AMADEUS
LX NAPVSC
APOLLO / GALILEO SABRE / ABACUS WORLDSPAN
LX 73878 LX 48178 LX NAPVS
AN OASIS OF LUXURY AND DISCRETION THAT INVITES MEDITATION
ABOVE :
the swimming pool delineated by Estro lanterns created by Michele Bönan.
Via Provinciale Marina Grande 225 • 80073 Capri (Napoli), Italia tel. +39/0818384001 • fax +39/0818370438 booking@jkcapri.com • www.jkcapri.com