Herzog & de Meuron Extends Greenhouse Pavilion for Mandarin Oriental's L'Aria

Herzog & de Meuron has completed L'Aria, a restaurant at the Mandarin Oriental Lago di Como resort in Blevio, Italy, opening in 2026. The project extends an existing greenhouse pavilion by five meters toward the garden, adding a covered veranda for year-round use. The architects worked with the existing structure rather than replacing it, following their earlier Floating Pool & Spa and Nami Café interventions at the resort. Inside, a Calacatta Oro marble bar anchors the room, serving as a breakfast buffet by day and an aperitivo or omakase bar by night. The Palladiana terrazzo floor uses Botticino and Bianco Perlino marble, referencing traditional lakeside villas. Rose-colored fabric wall panels embroidered with leaf motifs were developed with Venice-based Rubelli. A cast-glass-tiled ceiling with brass backing shifts from opaque gold to watery hues depending on light. Dark walnut furniture connects to the historic Villa Roccabruna's bistro furnishings. The veranda's folding wood doors open the dining room to the garden, and an underground passage links the pavilion to the villa, ending in a timber-lined wine cellar. The greenhouse is shaded by latticed panels echoing botanical garden trellises, with checkered shadows mirrored in Verde Alpi marble flooring. Red-lacquered chairs punctuate the green interior. The bar stools tuck fully beneath the counter, leaving an unbroken marble surface when not in use.