[New] The Pavilions The First Musica

Rome

The First Roma welcomes a third member, designed by Studio Marincola to harmonise with the city’s rich tapestry.

Whizzing through the cobbled streets of Rome on an e-scooter – firmly in the camp that these should be permanent fixtures everywhere – each bump and knee-grinding bounce is a reminder of the history seeping up through the ancient city’s foundations. Aching with the weight of past stories but not stuck in former times, new pages are written every day in this metropolis.

Indeed, The Pavilions Rome, The First Musica began a fresh chapter on the west bank of the River Tiber this summer, injecting a flash of five-star pizzazz to the already elegant Prati neighbourhood, and joining sister venues The First Arte and The First Dolce, collectively known as The First Roma.

As Rome so pertinently conveys, heritage serves as an excellent tool when preparing for the future, and so it is in the case of The First Musica, housed in a Mid-Century building originally designed by architect Mario Docci. “To design in a city like Rome, you must know its history,” explains Antonio Marincola, founder of Studio Marincola, which was behind the renovation. “For me, it is impossible not to consider it – the colours, materials and architecture are all inspired by the city.”

The most striking of these is perhaps the building’s bronze-gilded concrete and mesh façade, influenced by Richard Meier’s iconic Museo dell’Ara Pacis, situated just across the water. But it’s the collective impact of a slew of structural changes that has transformed the former office complex into the opulent address it is now. “The entire concrete structure was strengthened,” Marincola confirms. “The roof was completely opened up and every one of the 24 rooms and suites now features floor-toceiling windows.”

All these features draw guests’ attention to the Tiber, the river that was once the lifeblood of the city. The oversized windows frame its serpentine path as it cuts through the core of different quartieri, while up at Alto, the rooftop bar serving cocktails and Italian cuisine, sweeping views reveal its impressive scale.

From here, notable monuments like the Trinità dei Monti, Mausoleum of Augustus and the Altare della Patria are also visible; constants in an ever-evolving landscape.

Tributes to the city’s beauty continue inside, where luxe fabrics come courtesy of Loro Piana; timber panelling is by Alpi; and rare Calacatta marble all combine to conjure a calm, cosmopolitan ambience away from the al fresco buzz. “The external and internal materials must be in harmony,” says Marincola. “The cladding of the structure was therefore repeated inside and many accessories in the bedrooms and bathrooms were crafted from brass.” The result is contemporary yet unfussy rooms, in which high quality furnishings speak loudest and comfort is key.

As the first light of day warms the city’s many spires, breakfast is served overlooking their apex at plush, fifth-floor restaurant Oliva. It’s a feast fit for a Roman, naturally, spanning so many courses that eventually one loses count. But it’s the service that’s most memorable.

Genuinely interested in their guests and keen to give recommendations, the team provide a local wisdom that paves the way for a no holds barred exploration of Rome’s well-pounded pavements. For those who like to get beneath the skin of a place, it’s invaluable insight.

That same innate curiosity and long-held knowledge brush up against each other within the walls of The First Musica. “Rome has taught me everything I know about architecture,” Marincola explains. “With over 2,000 years of history and overlapping architectural styles, the colours and materials of this city are unique. That’s why I always try and include them in my projects.”

Lying on the bed, gazing out over the capital as parakeets swoop from trees like tiny darts piercing a silhouetted skyline that’s been etched for thousands of years, the juxtaposition of then and now is tangible. Rome’s past may be set in stone, but hotels like The First Musica ensure that the contours of what comes next are still to be coloured.

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Operator: The Pavilions Hotels & Resorts Architecture and Interior Design: Studio Marincola www.pavilionshotels.com