Subject of the competition was the proposal for a complete interior design (furniture and artifacts of communication included) of 14 themed rooms of the concept hotel Suite D` Autore. The suites should be conceived as a space that delivers, apart from the basic commodities, a canvas for cultural encounters, art events as well as educational relevant uses.

Inside the shell of this historical 15th century “palazzo” in Palermo the guest should be transformed into an actor on the stage and at the same time a spectator in the stalls, stimulated on every sensory level, ready to converse a clear memory as a keepsake for his return home.

“The concept of the Surface” is the title of the proposal. Mies van der Rohe’s less is more, with its propensity towards the subtraction and elimination of everything that is superfluous, clearly exemplifies the philosophy of minimalism. Minimal objects are, by their very nature, reduced to their essence, but is it possible to plan a minimal space without its becoming boring, indifferent, insignificant, devoid of any attraction?

The basic idea for the minimalist suite arises from the elementary concept of surfaces in space, developed via two planes orthogonal to each other: one horizontal and the other vertical. The first, with regard to the guest’s state of relaxation and rest, is developed along a continuous line between bathtub and the plane of the bed, without visual filters or barriers, thanks to the glass wall. The second, regarding “dynamic” activity, comprises the wall furnished with built-in desk and cupboards, in a continuous plane with the entrance wall. In this way the concept is communicated in the simplest way possible, being closely linked to its functions and allowing the guest to feel calm, and at the same time, perceive the energy of this space communicated through its planes. The selection of materials is instrumental in emphasising the basic concept, since it determines the colours as well as the surface-finish: horizontal surfaces in slate, dark and rough; vertical ones in Bakelite, white and shiny.