As Giampiero Tagliaferri, principal and founder of his eponymous design studio, explains, “It wasn’t just about simply replicating a Milanese interior; it was about interpreting those values and translating them into a singular architectural statement that felt right for the mountains, while remaining fundamentally Sant Ambroeus.” While the facade was preserved to remain true to its heritage, the interior had already been stripped back to its structural core when the studio started. Rather than attempting to replicate the past, Tagliaferri embraced a deliberate strategy of contrast, allowing the old and new to coexist in a striking dialogue.
Tagliaferri describes the architectural language as “alpine brutalism” – a raw, elemental feel that combines the ruggedness and solidity of the mountains with the timeless sophistication and elegance of an urban interior. “My main goal was to avoid common clichés,” he says. “I didn’t want the restaurant to feel like a cheesy, picture-book chalet, but I also didn’t want it to be a Milanese spot just awkwardly dropped into the mountains.”