Opera at Locanda Le Piazze boutique hotel. Eco-comfort among Chianti hills

At the eco-gourmet boutique hotel Locanda Le Piazze, hospitality becomes a way to describe the territory through its natural beauty, its smells and tastes.
At the top of the hill, among the Sienese Chianti Classico vineyards, an antique farmhouse built in 1540 houses today the refined boutique hotel characterized by the “glocal” design and soul: contemporary and holistic comfort, combined with an architecture that is attentive to sustainability and tradition, where every single space is in perfect harmony with the typical Tuscan landscape.

That’s exactly the continuity between the indoors and the outdoors which has allowed the Locanda Le Piazze to offer a highly immersive experience to its guests, since the panorama becomes the main protagonist, thanks to well-finished and cosy outdoor spaces which can be enjoyed at any time.
The example is the suggestive dehors where there are 38 covers; a terrace of about 120 square meters overlooking the hills, sheltered by olive trees and scented plants, but also by the comfort and the technology of six pergolas Opera by Pratic.

Designed by Gianni Menconi’s Project & Design Home Lab, the ambitious project provided for the replacement of the previous structures with PVC cover, always made by Pratic, with a new custom-made structure, able to create an original outdoor living room to be enjoyed under any weather condition, from April to October – the opening period of the hotel.
Moreover, the attentive study of Locanda Le Piazze spaces and architecture has underlined the need to create a refined and coherent place: a request for comfort, beauty and efficiency which has encouraged the designer and the customer to choose a bioclimatic pergola, capable of preventing the sun rays hitting the covering to reflect on the windows of the rooms above, thus guaranteeing the perfect light and temperature even on the upper floor.

Opera’s aluminium blades, adjustable up to 140 degrees, embrace the light and allow the adjustment of natural light and ventilation, thus achieving, even in the warmest days, a pleasant air recirculation and a customizable shade through the drop-down awnings hidden in horizontal profiles. In case of fresh and rainy days, instead, blades close completely, thus conveying rainwater in the integrated gutters; on the other hand, the perimeter protection is guaranteed by sliding glazing Slide Glass 60, together with two spans with windows, helping to fully protect the room without renouncing the contact with the surroundings.

A result also achieved thanks to the well-finished intervention by Project & Design Home Lab team that allowed achieving a highly immersive result, by hiding the technical components in order to offer the guests only the pleasure of the purest design and of the view towards the surrounding nature.

The six modules, both wall mounted and self-supporting, integrate perfectly in the terrace, which is framed by a low stone wall and by the pre-existing flooring which hides inside Slide Glass 60 slideways, for an impeccable aesthetic and functional result. The result of the design to the millimetre and of the sharp and professional installation that requested about seven days for the complete renovation of the outdoor space.

The main requirement for the project was a stylistic coherence with the historical building. Refined and simple, the pergolas Opera have created a natural extension of the restaurant, thanks to a smart combination of custom-designed colours. Volcano grey profiles and post profiles recall the recurring colour between the windows and the details of the boutique hotel; at the same time, the ecru shade of the covering matches with the building nuances and gives great brightness to the space, thus making the shape of open blades disappear. When blades are closed or at night, instead, the lighting is entrusted to Spotlights and to the low light of perimeter Led lines.

In line with the “eco” style of the gourmet boutique hotel, Pratic pergolas pay close attention to sustainability. These pergolas are zero-impact structures realised with renewable materials and their lacquering too is made with non-polluting and certified components, which guarantee the greatest resistance to UV rays, salt and humidity, and a long lasting colour fastness. Pratic creations stand out for their perfect circularity and their ability to maintain unaltered their technical and aesthetical performances over time. That’s the case of the pergolas with PVC cover originally installed for Locanda Le Piazze which, following the renovation of the terrace restaurant, have been offered to the centre of Castellina in Chianti for new uses.

Gianni Menconi – Project & Design Home Lab