Hotel Principi di Piemonte | Turin

The Hotel Principi di Piemonte, designed by architects Vittorio Bonadé Bottino and Giovanni Chevalley, was constructed as part of the urban planning project for the second stretch of the new Via Roma in the 1930s. It remains a pivotal architectural element of the area, alongside the Torre Littoria. Positioned in alignment with Via Bruno Buozzi, perpendicular to the porticoed Via Roma Nuova, the hotel continues to operate as a high-end hotel today.

The building is a compact, monolithic structure featuring a travertine base, which reflects the internal distribution of various service rooms, such as the entrance hall, representative spaces, and public services. This base is topped by an eight-story brick-clad block, which houses the hotel's rooms. The two sections of the facade are separated by an important travertine cornice that echoes the material and geometric ornamentation of the eaves and under-eaves, giving the facade a unified compositional character. The structure is made of reinforced concrete.

Over time, the facades of the Hotel Principi di Piemonte had suffered progressive deterioration, particularly affecting the external cladding and related finishes. The restoration intervention included several key actions: the replacement of the external cladding of the hollow-core walls on the upper portion, which had a terracotta finish, along with the replacement of the windows, and the restoration of the travertine cladding at the base, including the replacement/integration of the railings to match those on the upper floors.

The replacement of the external cladding of the hollow-core walls was particularly complex, requiring a targeted study of the different stratigraphies based on the morphology of the cavity, which in turn required a specific study of the substructure in metal carpentry. To restore the facade's formal and chromatic characteristics, a mapping process was carried out on the existing facades, identifying and diagramming the color composition resulting from the existing hues. This analysis was conducted by selecting a series of panels at various points on the four facades. Based on this preliminary analysis, it was possible to design the chromatic composition of the new facade, with colour percentages communicated to the brick supplier regarding the available colour options of the selected product.

The restoration of the travertine base was carried out through direct analysis and detailed diagnostic investigations, along with the preparation of mapping and photographic documentation. Cleaning and the removal of stains and black crusts were performed using a micro-sandblasting system and chemical poultices. The travertine slabs were then restored and consolidated through grouting and/or integration where necessary. Finally, aesthetic restoration was completed by balancing the colour elements and applying a final protective layer.