Starhotels E.c.ho. will be built opposite from the Fico Eataly World food park located in Bologna.

Iosa Ghini Associati was tasked with designing both the external structure and its interior.

The building will be managed by the Starhotels company, which recently signed a business agreement with the PAI fund, owned and administered by Prelios SGR.

The new 4 star Luxury Superior Hotel will be built out of the functional and structural framework of Bologna’s former horticultural market.

Given the importance of the ecological and land conservation concerns normally related to the development of new buildings, the original structure will not be demolished but instead overhauled and transformed into a new edifice with a different designated use: the existing commercial complex will be turned into structure made for accommodating tourists.

“We tried to preserve the original structure as much as we could” - explained Iosa Ghini. - “and in order to transform a former industrial building into a luxurious hotel we came up with a series of ‘islands’ within an existing larger space of twelve thousand square meters. We designed interiors and glass covered courtyards from which light will enter the building in a beautiful and homogeneous way and arranged around them a series of differently sized rooms”.

The structure will cover a total area of 11.000 square meters and will include 200 rooms: this functional overhaul is made unique by the inclusion of a series of amenities such as an outdoor garden and pool, along with service areas, meeting and conference rooms, a cafeteria and breakfast lounge, a reception, offices, three indoor swimming pools, a fitness center and a spa.

The entire structure is very peculiar as it retains a strong eco-friendly identity throughout its entirety; the decision to focus on design aspects related to eco-sustainability is endorsed by the Starhotels Group.

“We were extremely selective when choosing which materials and manufacturing technologies to employ” - Iosa Ghini continues - “We plan to make ample use of wood and certified eco-friendly materials. From a technological point of view, the hotel will be erected within the premises of a photo-voltaic plant and we designed a very ‘virtuous’ geothermal system for ventilation and hot water delivery”.