Biagio Forino, Founder, Biagio Forino Interiors
Drawing inspiration from the iconic Lagoon and Venice’s rich artisanal history, acclaimed interior designer Biagio Forino is the vision behind the reimagined suites of the iconic Hilton Molino Stucky Venice.
Sitting proudly, on the north-west bank of Giudecca Island, the imposing red-brick façade of Hilton Molino Stucky Venice looms large on the waterfront. Dating back to the late 19th century, and retaining much of its industrial heritage, the former flour mill is now one of the most celebrated and storied hotels in the city. Formed of multiple neo-gothic buildings, its industrial days came to an end in 1955 with the close of the mill, falling into serious disrepair until 1997 when it underwent the first of several reincarnations.
Based in Milan, Forino’s first collaboration with the hotel was in 2019, with the redesign of the Molino Presidential Suite, followed by the recent refurbishment of a further 45 suites. As the hotel counts down the days to the launch, Forino took time out to reflect on the design process with Editor Emma Kennedy.
Were you familiar with Hilton Molino Stucky before you worked on the renovation?
The hotel is one of the icons of Venice – from both an architectural and design point of view, so I had heard a lot about it and had followed the original conversion of the building – even though I was not directly involved.
I understand that initially you were hired to refurbish the Presidential Suite. How did this come about?
The multi-phase project of refurbishing 45 suites included the Presidential Suite and came following various other interior design projects that I had been commissioned for by the owner. I believe it was my attention to detail and design style that had been appreciated by the client. I think it is also true to say that I have always been fully in-line with project briefs and have met the client’s expectations from the beginning.
At 3,300 square feet, Molino Stucky Presidential Suite is the largest hotel suite in Venice. What was your first impression of the space?
When I first saw the Presidential Suite prior to the refurbishment, it was all very dark with dark wooden boiserie and floors and heavy curtains. Sitting on the top floors of the historic flour mill’s tower, I understood I had literally walked into the highest and largest suite in Venice. It had so much potential that needed to be shown, and I immediately decided to brighten everything up, starting with the choice of light curtains to let in the abundance of natural light.
Could you share a little about the process, the design concept and the inspiration behind the suites?
When I approach a new project, I let myself be inspired by a series of emotions. First, the “genius loci”, the type of building, the view enjoyed from the windows, and the location. Other times I am inspired by a detail that strikes me such as the design of the railing of the staircase in the building or an object that is part of the clients’ collection or one of their passions. For the Hilton Molino Stucky Venice, my choice of colours and materials were inspired by its prominent waterfront location and Venice’s thousand-year history.
The next step of the project was the creation of the concept and mood – which required approximately a month of design work and research into the proposed materials. Once these had been approved, the process of preparing the executive projects began. Although this involved only small changes to the layout, it was nevertheless a major upheaval of the suites. I think one of the biggest challenges was then adapting the mood to the various types of layouts and structural elements. Because of Molino Stucky’s history, the building presents a very complex structure that varies between each building that forms the complex.
Was the design brief similar to that of the Presidential Suite or were they to have a separate identity?
There is a significant difference between the design of the Molino Suites and the Presidential Suite.The latter’s location on the upper floors of the tower gives it a unique prestige and position and is much grander. It has a large living room with numerous windows overlooking The Lagoon, a very high ceiling with stunning Murano glass chandeliers, and a grand fireplace. On the first floor there is a master bedroom, a twin bedroom, a dining room and a kitchen, and the second floor has a spa with a gym, a steam bath and a Jacuzzi tub. From this area you can directly access the swimming pool located on the rooftop. Finally, you can go upstairs to enjoy the beautiful 360-degree view of Venice. It really is an exceptional space.
With regards to the Molino Suites, there are two separate schemes – the first of which is a cameo-grey with a touch of red. When the sky is grey the colours of the lagoon become livid, and Venice takes on the languor of an English landscape painting. For the second scheme, I wanted to emphasize the colours of the lagoon through decorative detailing on the furniture. The lagoon has a unique colour characterized by a water-green tone leading towards jade green – with mother-of-pearl shades. The leitmotif I chose was the aqua green colour of the lagoon which we find in the Toile De Venise used for the screens and headboards, in the herringbone texture of the curtains, and the fabrics on the armchairs and sofas, all produced by Venetian fabric manufacturers, Rubelli.
I wanted to use as many Venetian elements as possible throughout the whole project – from the Rubelli fabrics to the Murano glass chandeliers. Even some of the furniture was made of glass fibre – a material now used to build sailing boats, a tradition in Venetian history. The Venice Carnival gave me the idea of drawing a handful of confetti thrown onto carpets, and the paintings that Grecale created for the suites are embellished with gold leaf brushstrokes recalling the flashes of the mosaic vaults of St. Mark’s Basilica.
Most jobs have memorable moments, could you share a lasting moment from your experience at Hilton Molino Stucky?
My most memorable moment was when I first saw Molino Stucky. I arrived by water taxi and found myself in front of this majestic building with its splendid tower and brick façade with dozens of windows and the frieze of the old flour mill with a large clock in the centre. To Quote Henry James, “An orange gem resting on a blue glass plate: it’s Venice seen from above”.