Byblos Art Hotel Villa Amistà: Outstanding Scenic Designs

For a hotel, receiving a Villeggiature Award is a recognition as prestigious as winning an Oscar. The Byblos Art Hotel Villa Amistà in Verona won two in a single evening: “Best Graphic Identity” and “Best Hotel Exterior Architecture in Europe.

”Decisive for the latter, an award from an international jury and top industry journalists, was the stunning 20,000-square-meter garden designed by Gianfranco Paghera, featuring Verona marble fountains, water features, and a refined infinity pool of classic shape.

For the unique beauty of its outdoor scenic design, Villa Amistà triumphed over an exclusive selection of candidates, in front of an audience of over 300 prominent personalities.

Architect Gianfranco Paghera explains his inspiration:“What fascinated me most was the architectural layering at Villa Amistà. The central body of the villa was built in the 15th century on the remains of a Roman fort by Michele Sanmicheli in Venetian style, and almost entirely reworked in the 18th century by Ignazio Pellegrini.

The aesthetic juxtaposition with Alessandro Mendini’s furniture and contemporary art had to be preserved without introducing additional stylistic cues in the garden. The ideal solution was to create a play of reflections with the villa’s architecture while safeguarding numerous centennial plants through dendrochirurgical interventions.

The 18th-century Italian garden tradition is reflected in the white stone-paved entrance avenue culminating in the red Verona marble fountain, a prelude to the villa’s magnificent façade. Fountains, planters, and putti were crafted by artisans as unique pieces.

The old farmhouse garden has become a display of aromatic herbs, peonies, and roses. This project demonstrates the perfect applicability of technologically advanced solutions in a historical context, analogous to the combination of contemporary art with 15th- and 18th-century environments. Here, harmony prevailed over contrast.”