492.4 Villa Roccabruna, Bar & Bistro

Dating to the 18th century, the Villa has undergone numerous renovations over the years, all the while preserving a large portion of its rich interiors and elegant character. Grandly positioned on a lakefront promenade, it welcomes guests into generously proportioned, richly decorated reception rooms overlooking Lake Como. The Villa houses a handful of special suites, includes a bistro and bar, and serves as the reception for the spa and floating outdoor pool.

Upon arrival, guests are guided to the Chinese Room, where the existing decorative scheme has been both embraced and enhanced with the addition of a smaller reception vestibule and the incorporation of carefully selected materials and furniture. The result is a subtle reference to Mandarin Oriental’s heritage while creating a fluid guest arrival sequence.

Between the Chinese Room and Bistro sits the Grand Vestibule, previously underutilized as a circulation hall that interrupted the flow of the large lakefront interiors. The historic sequence of grand spaces along the entire lakefront façade has been reinstated through both opening up the large glazed doors between spaces and extending the parquet flooring into the Vestibule. Two bespoke glass vitrines, informed by the existing wooden framed glazed doors and windows, now separate the vestibule from the main staircase and hallway, creating informal yet intimate seating alcoves perfect for morning coffee, afternoon tea or aperitivo.

The Bistro underwent the most significant transformation. After studying archival materials, we discovered the room was originally lined with tapestries depicting various landscape motifs. To celebrate Lake Como and restore this important feature, we replaced the flat, overly decorative wall panels with custom embroidered wall coverings portraying the surrounding landscape. Working in collaboration with Venetian textile company Rubelli, we developed custom jacquard fabric panels based on 18th-century Lake Como landscapes by Josef Rebell. Each wall of the room captures a different cardinal direction: Como to the South, Cernobbio to the West, Torno to the North, and Blevio to the East. The narrow panels in-between are fitted with mirrors which add to the overall effect that the guests are surrounded by the landscape. All furniture has been designed specifically for the bistro – tables, chairs, sofas, and consoles. Slightly lower than usual, referencing typical furniture of the region, and made from the same wood as the existing impressive large window frames, they blend into the space rather than overwhelming it.

For the Bar, we designed a new low brass counter and placed it in front of the historic wooden-framed threshold further into the room, creating a more intimate atmosphere while improving the back-of-house workspace behind it. The large threshold is now an integral and important feature of the bar, while the decorative marble framing of the old back of bar was matched, recycled and reintegrated into the new design.

All of our work for the Mandarin Oriental Lago di Como is meant to strengthen and revive the original spirit of the place. Particularly at Villa Roccabruna, this consists of a collection of subtle interventions that work with the existing rather than against it.