Inspired by nature

This project takes its name and inspiration from the Alpine landscape, and above all from the majestic Matterhorn (Monte Cervino in Italian), one of the most iconic peaks in the Alps and indeed anywhere in the world. The Grand Hotel Cervino is located at the foot of this extraordinary pyramid-shaped mountain, which soars to a height of 4478 metres above the Breuil basin, about 50 kilometres from Aosta.
“The primordial power of the natural landscape provided the starting point for the project,” explains architect Mariapia Bettiol, who together with general contractor V.i.CO. S.R.L. and the interior contractor Concreta designed this 5-star hotel looking out onto the Matterhorn. “The basic idea was to create a building that would look outwards and integrate into the natural Alpine landscape.”
The architect, a native of Valle d’Aosta, drew inspiration from local building traditions. In terms of its form and materials, the hotel has the typical structure of an Alpine village, consisting of three wood and glass volumes set on a stone base. Like an alpine pasture, the volumes are oriented in such a way as to capture as much sunlight as possible while at the same time offering an extraordinary view of the “Gran Becca” as the Matterhorn is commonly referred to by locals (“becca” means “summit” in the Valle d’Aosta dialect).
The continuous dialogue between nature and architecture is also reflected in the symbiotic relationship between tradition and modernity. While wood is used as the predominant construction material in keeping with the Alpine architectural tradition, the project adopts a highly contemporary approach in terms of technology and sustainability. With the exception of the basements, which were built using concrete, the walls and floors are all made of prefabricated timber systems (X-Lam), which reduce construction time and environmental footprint. The hotel’s bathrooms and installations were also prefabricated. Bathroom modules were manufactured in-factory and installed during construction of the individual floors. “The hotel was built in record time,” says the architect. “Despite the delays caused by the pandemic, construction took just 13 months.” In other words, it took little more than a year to build four above-ground floors with a total of 60 rooms.
The focus on sustainability continues inside the hotel, where the architect opted to use ceramic tiles that offer aesthetic appeal, technical performance and attention to the environment. Collections from Florim Ceramiche were chosen for their combination of design and sustainability, including circularity in terms of use and production.
The first collection was the Planches series (colour Noisette) chosen for the large lobby area, which recreates the look of the intricate parquet floors in the Palace of Versailles. An elegant natural stone look was chosen for the guest room floors (Stones&More 2.0 series), together with eye-catching coloured surfaces for the bathrooms (La Roche series). Finally, the Les Origines collection was used to brighten up the walls in the communal wellness areas, where the harmonious beauty of white marble contrasts with the large Rock Salt series slabs used on the floor, in turn inspired by the aesthetics of large blocks of rock salt.
“In a way, the decision to use different materials – from wood to glass, ceramic and stone – reflects the rich and complex geological stratification of the Alpine landscape. Perhaps not everyone knows that the Matterhorn is the only European mountain formed from rocks of African origin,” adds the architect.
But the most powerful design element of all is the light, which streams in through the large windows framing the landscape (and especially the Matterhorn) like translucent canvases.