TEXT: LILLI BACCI PHOTOGRAPHY: ENRICO CONTI
PAOLA NAVONE'S
POINT YAMU
he Como Hotel group and I share the idea that luxury today
can be an appreciation of simplicity, a respect for traditions, a
contemporary yet not aggressive environment,” says legendary
Italian designer Paola Navone, who has created iconic pieces
for Alessi, Molteni, Poltrona Frau, Poliform and Baxter, among
other top furniture brands. “At Point Yamu, the challenge was
to design a contemporary space that would still be connected
with Thailand. We liked the idea that guests could breathe much
of the Thai tradition in a contemporary setting. We worked on
designing something different from all the other hotels in Phuket.
Light. Simple. Poetic. Charming.”
After a long trip, a white van whisks visitors from the chaos
of Phuket airport and takes them to the peninsular hill of Cape
Yamu, overlooking the Andaman Sea. Upon entering the lobby
of Point Yamu, one is greeted by a joyful setting of Indonesian
tables filled with flowers and objects, crisp white sofas, and an
accent wall made of thousands of wooden “pixels.” “We made
an installation of stacked tables filled with traditional Thai objects
and beautiful things from other countries, welcoming guests to
the special mood of Como hospitality,” says Navone. “Big woven
white lamps hang from the ceiling, and two columns coated with
pieces of broken ceramics flank the staircase in the lobby, which
is open to the bay.”
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