Agape - Destinations

Italy’s Langhe is a hilly farming region in the northwest

province of Piedmont known for the production of cheese,

wine, and, most famously, white truffles. In recent years,

it has become an important pilgrimage point for gourmands

and foodies from across the globe, which is why hospitality

ventures to host these pleasure-seeking travelers have

begun popping up. For instance, Casa di Langa, a luxury

boutique hotel that sits on more than forty hectares

of vineyards and forested hillsides. Set on the site of

a former farm, Milan-based Parisotto + Formenton Architetti

transformed the vast estate into a welcoming retreat

inspired by the region’s traditional architecture.

“The common thread of the entire intervention

is respect for the territory”, state the architects, who chose

materials that reflect the natural colors of the earth, the trees

and the shades of the foliage before and after the harvest.

“Everything refers to nature and vernacular architecture:

the materials, the rough and imperfect tactility of the

surfaces, the changing greenery in which

the accommodation complex is immersed, and finally,

the large central courtyard that frames the panorama,

created in close dialogue with the surrounding landscape”.

While the buildings’ exteriors were designed to blend

into the landscape, the interiors were designed to elicit

a sense of calm and tranquility using natural materials like

stone, oak wood and plaster in shades of grey and beige.

The designers dressed the bedrooms with rich layers

of textiles, contemporary art and collections of ceramics,

which give the spaces a homey, lived-in feel. However,

in the bathrooms, they channeled the feeling of a modern

spa, with textured grey stone walls and floors, gold-toned

wood and Agape’s Immersion tub, whose rounded forms

provide visual relief to the bathroom’s otherwise strict

straight lines.

“Everything refers to nature and vernacular