Merano mondane

Text by Florian Siebeck for Architectural Digest

Published on November 10, 2024

South Tyrolean architect Hannes Peer has expanded the “Pergola” hotel with a modernist loft, furnished with numerous design classics.

Hot on the heels of unveiling his new hotel, The Manner, in New York, Hannes Peer surprises once again with another innovation. In the Merano region, the architect has designed Spazio 46, an extension to the “Pergola” residence hotel by Matteo Thun. This marks the first project by the Milan-based architect in his native South Tyrol and is a bold departure from the typical Merano wooden-style architecture that has proliferated under Thun's influence. With its seemingly floating overhangs, Peer’s modernist hillside structure evokes the spirit of Fallingwater amidst the vineyards.

The modernist loft by Hannes Peer stands out with its geometric elements, starkly contrasting the rolling hills. The loft, part of the “Pergola” hotel in Lagundo in the Merano region, accommodates up to two people and starts at €650 per night, including breakfast. The hotel’s own bodega also offers Tuscan marmalades and olive oil, spaghetti, and cheese from the local Algund dairy.

Peer was commissioned by Karin Innerhofer, who now manages the hotel her parents built 20 years ago. “She lived abroad for a long time and was looking for someone who knows South Tyrol but doesn’t live here,” says Peer, who is appreciated by his clients not only for his impeccable taste but also for his profound knowledge of global architecture and design history. Guests at the “Pergola,” who come for its privacy (the hotel offers just twelve suites and two penthouses tucked into a terraced larchwood structure), often have a keen eye for good design and are well-traveled themselves.

The 80-square-meter suite in Peer’s new expansion, complete with a rooftop pool and spa, reflects this cosmopolitan sensibility. With his characteristic ease, the designer playfully traverses eras. He outfits the loft, steering clear of any rustic clichés, with rough plasterwork, silvery-white-veined gneiss, and walnut wood in the form of paneling and sensuous, rounded furniture, creating a sophisticated reinterpretation of a South Tyrolean parlor. He then fills it with 1960s lighting from Paris and Copenhagen, sculptures by his mother, Ursula Huber, and a vintage bouclé sofa by Vladimir Kagan from New York.

Regional Materials, Internationally Inspired Design Elements
The materials and craftsmanship came from the local area, while the inspiration was drawn from around the world. “Luxurious but grounded; rustic yet international,” explains Peer, referencing the international style of 1960s Milan shaped by Gio Ponti and Luigi Caccia Dominioni. “It’s important to me that a space has multiple layers; that everything is overlaid and stratified.” A novel approach for South Tyrol, one that could set a precedent.

The furniture in the open-plan space is flexible, designed to adapt to the changing preferences of guests. Floor-to-ceiling windows seamlessly incorporate the surrounding vineyards, and for those who manage to tear their eyes away from the room’s interior, the views outside are equally spectacular.