Orient Express La Minerva, Italy

The interiors of Orient Express La Minerva are conceived as a celebration of the Journey.

Designed by architect and artist Hugo Toro, each room is unique, with every object and detail carefully curated to narrate a story. The lighting acts as a silent guide throughout this journey, revealing textures, materials, and artworks, and subtly directing the guests’ gaze through the layered and evocative public spaces.

The primary objective of the lighting scheme is to immerse guests in a warm, candle-like atmosphere that complements the richness of the interior design without ever overpowering it. Light is treated as an emotional and architectural material, carefully balanced to enhance the spatial experience while maintaining intimacy, comfort, and visual calm.

Architectural lighting is complemented by bespoke decorative luminaires. The architectural lighting provides precise accent illumination, highlighting artwork, architectural details, and material transitions, while the decorative elements contribute a soft, ambient glow that defines the character of the spaces. This layered approach is consistently applied throughout the hotel—from the guestrooms to the lobby, the gym, and the façade—ensuring a coherent visual language and allowing guests to experience Minerva’s timeless and soothing atmosphere wherever they are, offering a moment of pause from the frenetic rhythm of Rome’s city centre.

The architectural lighting is deliberately discreet, with fixtures concealed within architectural elements and custom joinery to minimise glare and keep the light source hidden. All architectural luminaires are finished in antique bronze, selected to seamlessly integrate with the interior metalwork. The latest LED technology has been integrated into both bespoke decorative and architectural lighting, achieving a timeless visual quality while ensuring high performance, energy efficiency, and compatibility with advanced control systems.
Lighting scenes evolve smoothly throughout the day via an astronomical time clock with extended fade times. In the lobby and rooftop areas, characterised by large glazed openings, the lighting is carefully balanced to enhance the transition from daylight to sunset and dusk, allowing guests to experience the subtle magic of the golden hour as an integral part of the spatial and emotional journey.