In the heart of Bologna, just a few steps from Piazza Maggiore, Palazzo della Dogana marks the transformation of a sixteenth-century building into a new five-star hotel. The project responds to the layered architecture of the palazzo and the urban character of the city, interpreting contemporary hospitality as an intimate and cultivated experience deeply connected to its setting.
Luigi Fragola Architects is developing the interior design through a measured dialogue between memory and contemporary life. The spaces are reimagined to accommodate new functions and hospitality rituals while preserving the strength of the historic proportions and creating a natural relationship between light, materiality and spatial sequence.
The concept avoids a purely decorative interpretation of the past. References to Bolognese culture, distinctive materials and bespoke details define a refined yet non-nostalgic language, guiding the palazzo towards a new life without erasing its memory.
Palazzo della Dogana thus becomes a hospitality design project in Bologna where luxury is expressed through spatial quality, comfort and a sense of belonging. A new destination in the historic centre, bringing together architectural heritage and a contemporary, personal vision of hospitality.
