Hotel Scarpetta is a celebration of the finest Sicilian cuisine, in the extraordinary setting of the Murro di Porco lighthouse, Sicily
The project proposes a luxurious hotel retreat aimed at guests that wish to indulge in the finest Italian cuisine in a secluded natural landscape. The design praises the singularities of the region and preserves the fragility of the landscape with indulgent private dwellings that are hidden amongst the scrub surrounding the lighthouse.
Project with Catherine Yarwood and Campbell Taylor
Guests descend their entrance steps into a cast volume of vaulted forms which lead to a small pool resting at the base of a sculptural tower of bespoke tiles. This tile is inspired by the overlap of natural territories as well as formal interventions, and is used as a recurring pattern throughout the project. These dwellings transform two daily rituals - sleeping and bathing - into extraordinary experiences. Eight low-lying dwellings radiate from the lighthouse, thus preserving and reinforcing its architectural and symbolic prominence.
Meandering pathways leads guests towards the lighthouse and its adjacent buildings, which are sensitively preserved and repurposed to serve as a fine dining restaurant, kitchen, bar, cafe and walled garden. A filigree stair marks the new entrance to the building, which takes guests through a roof terrace and into the base of the lighthouse itself, before descending to the dining room. A glowing form highlights the table as the focus of the project, echoing the lighthouse’s role as a beacon. Whilst the hotel affords guests with seclusion, they meet around this table to share in the experience of dining beneath the Murro di Porco lighthouse.
As the meal comes to an end, guests take a piece of bread to carry out the Italian ritual of ‘fare la scarpetta.’
