Beloved for design as much as fashion, Milan is a city where history, creativity, and innovation converge. That spirit is reflected in the work of architect, industrial designer, and art director Patricia Urquiola. Originally from Madrid, Urquiola moved to Milan as a university student and never left. In 2001, she founded her eponymous Studio Urquiola with her partner in life and work, Alberto Zontone.
The multidisciplinary studio has created everything from villas and restaurants to galleries and hotels. Her portfolio includes some 15 retreats from Rome to the Maldives in her style that marries sculptural forms with color and unexpected textures. Most recently, Urquiola reimagined a landmark rationalist building in the Brera district originally designed by Pietro Lingeri in the 1950s. That building is now Casa Brera, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Milan, which opened in March 2025.
The 116-room hotel sits on a quiet pedestrian piazzetta only a short walk from the Duomo and La Scala. Inside, marble surfaces, sculptural furniture, inventive lighting, and striking artwork (including photography by Carolina Mizrahi) set the stage. What excites Urquiola most about hotel design, she says, is “creating an ideal temporary home for guests—whether they’re in the city for a few days of work or leisure.” At Casa Brera, that vision feels especially personal as she shapes a hospitality experience in the city she calls home.
After decades residing in the city and with deep ties to its architecture and design community, Urquiola knows Milan well—especially the neighborhood between Porta Venezia and Città Studi, where she has lived and worked for years. Afar caught up with the designer and asked her about her newest hotel project and the cafés, shops, and cultural spaces that define her Milan.
Casa Brera, a Luxury Collection Hotel, is in Milan’s Brera neighborhood.
Courtesy of Casa Brera, a Luxury Collection Hotel
How did the rationalist architecture of Casa Brera inform your design for the hotel?
From the very beginning, the project was guided by the desire to respect and reinterpret Lingeri’s rationalist architecture, which is so embedded in the image of 1950s Milan. The rhythm and coherence of the facades influenced the development of the interior spaces. The rationalist aesthetic is echoed in the geometric details that define the interiors and in the use of marbles, especially Italian granite, which references the building’s facade and becomes an important design element. The geometric patterns on the walls and ceilings further emphasize this rationalist legacy. It serves as a leitmotif that connects all areas of the project.
Milan is such a design-forward city. Did you find that context pushed you creatively in any interesting ways?
Milan is a city defined by design and craftsmanship, and my intention was to capture this essence within Casa Brera. The space features a blend of iconic pieces from IMAESTRI [an Italian designer furniture marketplace] alongside more contemporary works. It’s where history and modernity converge. From the [Etereo] terrace, you see all of Milan—its rooftops, the Duomo, the elegance of the city unfolding around you.
Casa Brera’s rooftop pool serves up cocktails and city views.
Courtesy of Casa Brera
How has hotel design evolved since the beginning of your career?
When I first approached hotel design, many interiors felt anonymous and often detached from the local culture or the emotional experience of the guest. The priorities were efficiency, repetition, and branding, with less attention to how people feel within the space. But design evolves, just like the way we live and travel evolves.
Today, guests seek something much more personal. It’s about blending hospitality with well-being, flexibility, and sustainability. Guests might work in the lounge, meditate in their room, or connect with others in a shared space. So, our role as designers is to anticipate these possibilities. For me, a hotel is a place that embraces the guest, that adapts to rhythms rather than imposing them.
We’d love for you to share your favorite spots in Milan. What’s your favorite café?
Pasticceria Sissi is my favorite breakfast spot. Both the coffee and the small pastries and cakes are exceptional. Their small, simple garden is wonderful.
Bar Basso in Milan
Photo by Federico Ciamei
Where do you go for great food and drinks?
Bao House, a micro-size Taiwanese restaurant that I adore. I always get their classic bao. Poporoya was the first Japanese restaurant to open in Milan, on Via Eustachi, and it’s authentic and unpretentious. And my go-to spot for aperitivo—especially during Milan Design Week—is Bar Basso. It’s an integral part of the neighborhood’s charm.
What are the neighborhood shops you frequent?
Books Import on Via Maiocchi is a great spot for international books. And Civico Nove on Via Eustachi is a clothing store I like.
What are the in-the-know cultural things you do with friends or family who visit you?
Studio House Turi Simeti is the studio house where the [Italian] artist Turi Simeti lived and worked for more than 30 years and has been our neighbor for seven years in our second studio location. Also, Fondazione Achille Castiglioni, the architect’s studio from 1962 until 2002. He was my mentor, and I had the honor to do my final thesis with him and be his assistant at the Milan Polytechnic.
Another one of my favorite places in this area is Casa Museo Boschi di Stefano, which displays a once-private collection of 20th-century Italian art in the owners’ art deco apartment, in a building designed by Piero Portaluppi in the 1920s. [The Italian ceramic artist] Marieda Boschi di Stefano was related to designer [and architect] Alessandro Mendini, who used to visit the house.
