672 Mandarin Oriental Lago di Como, Restaurant L˜ARIA

The small pavilion topped by a greenhouse was neither highly functional nor aesthetically integrated into the overall ensemble. By extending the building five meters toward the garden through the addition of a covered veranda, we created a weather-protected space that can be used year-round for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, while also providing a generous terrace facing Lake Como alongside the greenhouse. This simple intervention allows an entirely new flexibility in how the different areas can be used across the course of the day and the season.

The veranda, which can be opened or closed with folding wood-framed windows depending on the weather, offers a sheltered setting for breakfast with a view of the lake. Inside the restaurant, a large central bar anchors the space. Together with consoles set into the surrounding niches, it serves as a buffet, evoking a typical Italian bar with a selection of cornetti, biscotti, and breakfast pastries. In the evening, the counter hosts aperitivo or, on selected nights, omakase; The atmosphere shifts, underscored by the golden light of cast glass luminaires suspended above the counter. The bar stools are designed so that they can be pushed fully beneath the counter, forming a sculptural base while offering comfortable, upholstered seating when needed.

All materials were developed in collaboration with local manufacturers and craftspeople. The Palladiana terrazzo floor in Botticino and Bianco Perlino marble references the traditional floors found in the villas along Lake Como. Muted rose-colored fabric wall panels, embroidered with leaf motifs that echo the surrounding garden and designed exclusively in collaboration with Rubelli, line the curved walls around the central bar. The bar itself is made of Calacatta Oro marble, with a solid base upholstered in the same leather as the chairs. A cast-glass-tiled ceiling spans the entire room, allowing the brass behind the glass to shimmer through with varying intensity; Like the surface of Lake Como, its colors shift with the light, from opaque gold to transparent, watery tones. Crafted from dark walnut and polished to a high gloss, the built-in furniture and consoles establish a subtle connection to the wooden furnishings of the historic Villa Roccabruna.

On the veranda, the leaf motif from the interior reappears as a sgraffito fresco, incised into the plaster. The flooring continues from the interior to the exterior, complemented by a paneled ceiling painted ivory white. All furniture was designed specifically for the restaurant and represents a further development of the chairs and tables used in the villa’s bistro, maintaining a careful thread of continuity. On the terrace, this language carries forward in outdoor versions of the same pieces.

The existing glass and steel structure of the greenhouse is covered with shade-providing latticed panels whose pattern recalls the trellises found in botanical gardens. The lattices are also used as cantilevered sun-shading canopies to improve the climate both inside the greenhouse and immediately in front of it; Their checkered shadows are echoed as a pattern in the Verde Alpi and Botticino marble flooring. The furniture and built-in elements either have a green finish matching the steel and glass structure, or are mirrored, reflecting the space itself. The red-lacquered chairs add vivid accents to the otherwise green, plant-filled room, like flower bulbs blooming in a garden. Together with the large outdoor terrace overlooking the entire Villa Park and Lake Como, the space can host exclusive events or serve as a setting for breakfast or aperitivo.

All L˜ARIA spaces can be reached from the garden and outdoor paths, reinforcing the pavilion’s close relationship with the hotel grounds. In case of bad weather, an underground passage provides a sheltered connection from the historic Villa Roccabruna to the pavilion. This route ends in a timber wine cellar, complete with walk-in wine cabinets and small velvet-lined niches for wine tasting; a staircase connects directly to the restaurant above.

The new L˜ARIA offers a rich variety of spaces and atmospheres within a compact footprint. Flexible and responsive to different conditions, it is available to guests throughout the day. The resort continues to evolve as a cohesive whole, shaped by the history of both Lake Como and the character of this place – and reinterpreted anew.