Piero Lissoni on Hotel Design: Interview with the Architect

Architect and designer Piero Lissoni, born in Seregno in 1956, leads Lissoni&Partners with offices in Milan and New York. The studio has a thirty-year history in international projects spanning architecture, landscape, interiors, product, and graphic design. Lissoni also serves as art director for major design brands including Alpi, B&B Italia, Boffi, Living Divani, Lema, Lualdi, Porro, and Sanlorenzo. In an interview, he discusses his latest book "Environments" (Rizzoli, curated by Stefano Casciani), which he describes not as a balance sheet but a collection organized like his studio. He notes that the hospitality sector has undergone radical changes: many five-star superior hotels have opened, four-star hotels have become design or boutique hotels, and three-star hotels have turned into business hotels. Essential amenities now include spa and wellness areas and Michelin-starred food and beverage offerings. Check-in processes have shifted to electronic devices and keyless rooms. Lissoni emphasizes that each hotel project is unique, shaped by location, clients, and budget. He believes hotels should not be "non-places" but must engage with their context. Materials, surfaces, light, and color make the difference, combining comfort, aesthetics, and sustainability. He names Patricia Urquiola, Citterio/Viel, Arthur Gensler, and Yabu Pushelberg as notable figures in the field. Lissoni says he would have liked to be a ski instructor.