Palazzo Belli Seville is an Italian high-fashion brand boutique, recently opened at 28 O’Donnell Street, in the heart of Seville. It is spread over three floors in one of the most important historical buildings in the area, in what is known as the ‘palace without balconies’ and is distinguished by an antique clock that dominates the entrance to the boutique.
Palazzo Belli Seville is certainly destined to position the Andalusian capital at the highest level, as far as the shopping experience is concerned, putting it in competition with Madrid and Barcelona. In fact, it is the largest multi-brand space in Southern Europe where international brands such as Dolce & Gabbana, Valentino, Versace, Brunello Cucinelli, Balmain, Marc Jacobs, Burberry, Tom Ford, Tod’s, Thom Browne, Etro, Jacquemus, Marni, Jimmy Choo, Alexander McQueen, Stella McCartney, Renè Caovilla, Jil Sander, Lanvin, Off-White, Moncler, Golden Goose and many others can be found in a single boutique.
The design of this veritable “temple of high fashion”, very glamorous and minimalist, was entrusted to the architectural firm Cardinali & Gazzabin, which, in the total renovation of the building, was able to redesign the interiors, giving ample space both to the display of clothes and accessories and to the spaces destined for conviviality and meetings, using very different materials with great skill, from velvet to cement, from marble to wood, from glass to Plexiglas.
The result is truly extraordinary, because in Palazzo Belli Seville a sort of harmonious coexistence has been created between selling and meeting, between the shopping experience and the possibility of spending moments of leisure and entertainment, maybe on the terrace on the top floor, which overlooks the entire city, and which has been designed to host special events dedicated to selected customers.
STATUS CONTRACT was able to offer its experience and expertise by collaborating with the Cardinali & Gazzabin studio in the realisation of this absolutely unique space. Together with the architects, it studied the prototypes of the exclusive and original furnishings presented in the boutique and succeeded in obtaining a result that was not only aesthetically beautiful but above all elegant and of high quality… exporting, to Andalusian soil, all the beauty and uniqueness of ‘made in Italy’ and ‘made in Brianza’.
For the occasion, we had the pleasure of having a chat with architects Cardinali and Gazzabin.
The idea of Palazzo Belli in Seville was born as a sales outlet for prestigious international brands, but also as a space designed for meeting and conviviality. What did it mean in the design to reconcile these two ‘souls’?
In Seville, we tried to create an all-round space where the concept of a shop is linked to the meeting place. The two souls can coexist in harmony and it is really nice to have managed to create an environment like Palazzo Belli: a pleasant place where shopping can become an experience for customers.
The choice of materials must have played a very important role in this project: what were the criteria that inspired you in designing the interior spaces?
For this project, we looked for materials that would tie in with the colours and warmth of this beautiful city: warm materials ranging from polished brass to green onyx and typical city fabrics. In our philosophy, architectural space must always be able to integrate themselves into the context of the city: when you enter Palazzo Belli you must immediately perceive the ‘flavour’ of Seville and feel that you are in the heart of the historic centre of this extraordinary city.
In your collaboration with STATUS CONTRACT, what aspects of their ‘know-how’ have you most appreciated, and how relevant is it, for the purpose of your design, to find in a partner like STATUS a sharing of intentions and vision?
STATUS CONTRACT is a family business that has developed over time but still relies on craftsmanship, where the attention to detail and manual production by its craftsmen offers the certainty of a unique product.
Are you satisfied with the final result or are there still some aspects of the project that you would like to extend and/or modify?
Palazzo Belli in Seville was a very interesting project that we worked on with great passion and… yes, we can say that we are fully satisfied with the result!
Italian design in the world: how important is it for an Italian architecture studio – and the companies that collaborate with it – to be appreciated internationally and to be an ambassador of the ‘Italian’ style in the world?
I believe that we Italians, from the architectural firm to each operator involved in the work, are appreciated for our dedication to our work: our product is not industrial but handcrafted and this allows us to always guarantee great attention to detail and workmanship at the highest level. It must also be said that by working in this way we can offer a different and original product every time. A simply unique product.
