In the reduced, almost raw-looking spaces of the Nomos Hotel Rome, the focus is on engaging with the essentials. In the midst of the city’s hustle and bustle, an oasis of calm has been created, offering ample space for personal experiences and memories. In short: a place to reconnect with oneself.
In the heart of Rome lies a hotel where – in the very best sense – one is instantly thrown back onto oneself and one’s own perception. The minimalist, almost raw and sculptural interior of the Nomos Hotel offers countless opportunities to pause and be touched by the existing objects and the materials from which they are made – and in the process, perhaps come a little closer to one’s own core being. The history of the building, still palpable today, plays a central role in this: built in the 18th century, it once served as a monastery and was closely connected to the nearby church of San Paolo Alla Regola.
There is no trace of design trends or opulence here. The Nomos Hotel Rome, designed by artist and designer Henry Timi, is a poetic love letter to restraint and a sermon for focusing on the essentials. The materials used play a decisive role – stone, wood, metal, clay, terrazzo, terracotta, and travertine. »Mother nature has granted us the luxury of being able to enjoy its products and transform them with our hands. Matter is born from the earth: wood and stone. Lots of different types of stone represent my work, but one of my favourites is travertine in all is shades and nuances«, says Timi in EST Magazine about his love for natural materials.
The Nomos Hotel Rome is the first hotel project by the designer, artist, and artisan. He describes the essence of his hotel as a unique simplicity in which the visitor comes into contact with a materiality that has today been lost to artificiality and excessive decoration. Such decoration misjudges the human being as an individual. His material-based minimalism elevates both the space and the person inhabiting it. In this way, the soul finds its space and perceives the spirit of the place along with its authenticity. It is therefore also about creating, through a reduced, clear interior design, space for experiences that, in the best case, later become memories. At the same time, it invites a rethinking and redefining of the concept of luxury.
The Nomos Hotel was realised together with architect Angelo Zampolini and Italian craftspeople, who breathed new life into the historic spaces while preserving the building’s connection to its past. On the ground floor, there is a courtyard, an entrance area, and an equally pared-down restaurant with bar. Robust wooden tables and floors with geometric inlays reminiscent of antiquity characterise the bar and restaurant area. The colours throughout the hotel harmonise with its monastic past, ranging from biscuit beige to deeper earth tones. In the basement, there is a gym, a spa area, and a wine cellar.
The monolithic hotel suites are spread over the upper four floors and are furnished with artworks made from raw materials, which also serve as storage space. The beds are dressed in simple, coarsely woven linen; soft velvet poufs and clean-lined desks complete the suites, which – like the entire hotel – offer a counterpoint to the hustle and bustle of Rome’s streets. The ancient Greek term »Nomos« may translate as law, but the hotel developed by Henry Timi seems to break all the rules usually associated with upscale hospitality and luxury. [SW]
