The essence of identity

Sardinia’s pure cultural heritage is the pivot point of the design of the new 5-star Baglioni Resort Sardinia. The design came out of a partnership between Studio Spagnulo & Partners and Italian Design Brands (IDB)

The new 5-star Baglioni Resort, part of The Leading Hotels of the World, forges a complete symbiosis with the earth. Located in the protected marine area of Tavolara, on the north-eastern coast of Sardinia, north of San Teodoro, the resort is surrounded by a clearing overlooking the enchanting Lu Impostu beach. It was not only a given that there would be a union with the spirit of the place, its colors, fragrances, and wind was, but it is also deepest essence of the interior design. The project was commissioned to Studio Spagnulo & Partners — a 15-year-long partnership — together with Italian Design Brands (IDB), an Italian hub of high quality Italian furniture and design with which the prestigious hotel chain has made a partnership for upcoming openings and renovations. Genius

loci, materials, and cultural traditions are always the starting point for Spagnulo & Partners, which makes “Italian-style interiors” with major companies and takes an approach that gives voice to new designs in each case, turning it into a unique experience, designed to measure. Creating a sensory relationship with the elements in the surroundings is a necessity here and is done by analyzing and developing identity-shaping forms of arts and crafts that have absolutely unique, special traits. This culture is hundreds of years old and virtually untouched because of Sardinia’s scant relations with the outside world over the centuries. It is evoked in the raw lime on the rooms’ walls, in the floors of Orosei stone, and the granite on the buildings’ facades. The design studio explores traditions, customs, and craftsmanship, reinterpreting them in a contemporary note. Wool textiles and carpets by Mariantonia Urru, in textured versions of the Pibiones or Piana technique, adorn the headboards, the carpets in the common areas and bedrooms, cushions, upholstery, and curtains. All are combined in beautiful harmony with Meridiani furnishings. The design’s dominant colors — green, blue, ocher, and brick red — are expressed in different geometric patterns and textures,

distinguishing the 78 rooms, suites, and villas, as well as the main common areas. These same spaces also have hand-made ceramics by Walter Usai, a “strexiaiu” (literally “table-maker”) craftsman who carries on the family know-how that started in 1850, first with his grandfather and then passed down to his father. And there is also the tradition of handcrafted terracotta with Cerasarda, seen in hand-glazed terracotta inlays in the rooms’ bleached oak furniture. The dramatic power of the Sardinian landscape makes its way into many of the interiors through photographs, chosen and created together with the Alidem company in Milan and arranged on full-height panels for a spectacular presence. Naturally, particular attention was paid to the outdoor areas, in keeping with the philosophy of the interiors and the architectural materials. The area around the swimming pool, for instance, was designed with wood and cane structures and furnished with Ethimo pieces. The Lounge terrace created on the roof bar makes the untamed nature stand out all the more.

Owner: The Leading Hotels of the World Hotel operator: Baglioni Hotel & Resorts Interior design: Studio Spagnulo & Partners, Italian Design Brands (IDB) Furnishings: custom designed by Studio Spagnulo & Partners and manufactured by Gabana Arredamenti and MilanoCrea; Gervasoni, Meridiani, Ethimo Lighting: Davide Groppi, Panzeri, Servomuto Textiles and wood carpets: Mariantonia Urru Hand-glazed terracotta: Cerasarda Vases: Ceramiche Walter Usai

Author: Manuela Di Mari Photo credits: Barbara Pau