In the heart of Florence, surrounded by the allure of the Renaissance and the silence of an old-growth park, the Four Seasons Hotel occupies a 15th-century Medici palace that has been restored with great care and sensitivity. Set in the city’s largest private garden, it has become one of the world’s most popular hotels, a place where hospitality blends with beauty and nostalgia.
L’Officina dei Giardini was called to this exceptional setting for one of our most ambitious works: two matching conservatories, conceived as symmetrical architectural additions overlooking the internal courtyard. This project redefined the building’s geometry, integrating with its somber tones and transforming the space into a vibrant, welcoming environment.
The two structures, semicircular in plan, are freestanding and constructed in thermal-break steel, with walls divided into seven glass panels and fixed transom windows. The opaque, multi-pitched roof uses a high-performance technical laminate, designed to collect and drain rainwater through a perimeter gutter system with integrated downspouts, ensuring both functionality and clean, refined lines.
The two new rooms now house breakfast and restaurant service, giving the hotel bright, protected spaces that offer comfort in every season. For these conservatories, every detail—from the structures themselves to their microclimate—has been designed to ensure an experience consistent with the Four Seasons name: summer lightness, winter warmth, autumn colors, and spring aromas.
In addition to the outdoor spaces, we also worked on the interior of the hotel, creating an entryway and a elegant decorative ceiling in collaboration with Paola Caterina Grua and the workshop Vitràge Torino. The glass ceiling, hand-painted, kiln-fired, and set in leaded panels, is mounted within a custom-designed metal framework—a unique work that unites traditional glass artistry with engineering precision.
The project was developed in close synergy with the client and in continuous dialogue. This made it possible to fine-tune every solution, from the yield of the materials to the management of assembly. It was a relationship based on trust, quality, and shared attention to context. Today, the Four Seasons in Florence can welcome its guests in one of Europe’s most harmonious and articulated winter gardens. It is a work that is destined to last as it is enjoyed every day by hotel staff, guests, or passers-by.
