A new act for Puccini Hotel Milan

In Milan, where the urban fabric is shaped by layers of history and constant change, buildings can take on a second life. That is precisely what has happened on Corso Buenos Aires, where the Puccini Hotel Milan, Tapestry Collection by Hilton, has emerged from the comprehensive refurbishment of a 1930s building, transforming it into a contemporary hospitality destination while retaining its connection with the surrounding city. Spanning approximately 2,700 sq m across five floors, the project brings together architecture, construction and interior design. Progetto CMR developed the architectural scheme, Progetto Design & Build oversaw its delivery, while architect Chiara Caberlon shaped the interiors. Together, the different strands of the project turn the challenges of working with an existing building into an opportunity for a new hospitality experience.

The intervention is both substantial and carefully targeted. The staircase was extended, sections of the floor slabs rebuilt, and selected areas of the load-bearing masonry altered to allow for connecting rooms. The roof was completely renewed, while new lifts were introduced to bring the building up to the requirements of its new function. Behind the scenes, the building’s performance has also been rethought, with a hybrid services system combining rooftop photovoltaics, conventional mechanical systems and a gas-powered system to meet peak demand. The hotel’s considerable water requirements also called for large-capacity storage tanks and structural reinforcement – a significant undertaking within a load-bearing masonry building. It is, however, in the interiors that the new Puccini establishes its identity. The theatre – suggested by the hotel’s name and its proximity to the Teatro Puccini – provides the underlying narrative for Chiara Caberlon’s design.

Rather than being interpreted literally, the theme becomes a subtle thread running through the spaces, informing their atmosphere, spatial sequences and sense of character. The hotel comprises 59 rooms and a series of shared spaces conceived as chapters within the same story, culminating in a rooftop restaurant and terrace that opens the experience out towards the city. Here, the architecture shifts from an inward-looking hotel environment to a privileged vantage point over Milan, reconnecting the guest with the urban landscape beyond. This sense of place is central to the philosophy of Tapestry Collection by Hilton, whose hotels are defined by their individual character and connection to their surroundings. At Puccini Hotel Milan, that relationship is unmistakably Milanese: a city of contrasts and layers, where historic architecture, contemporary design and urban life continually overlap. The refurbishment therefore goes beyond a change of use. Rather than simply updating an existing building to accommodate a new function, the project works with what is already there, balancing continuity and transformation. The architecture of hospitality is inserted into a building with its own history, while the interiors offer a new way of experiencing it. The result is a contemporary hotel whose identity lies precisely in this dialogue between past and present. Through integrated design and a carefully considered interior concept, the former building becomes a new destination in the city – with hospitality taking centre stage.