Located in the historic centre of Ortigia, Sicily, Cool Dreams occupies part of Palazzo Gargallo di San Gaetanello, a fifteenth-century building later acquired by the Gargallo family and restored by architect Francesco Fichera in the early twentieth century.
For Kaleido Studio StP, the existing building determined the organisation of the new hospitality programme. Rather than imposing a standard hotel layout, the reception, bar, lounge, breakfast room, art gallery, guestrooms, and service spaces were fitted around the palazzo’s established rooms, thresholds, and circulation.
The intervention began by removing relatively recent alterations. Previously blocked openings were reopened, while partitions and a corridor dating from the 1980s were removed, restoring connections between existing spaces without attempting to reconstruct an idealised historical condition.
Preserving existing fabric
The conservation strategy was developed surface by surface. Historic plasterwork, frescoes, and decorated areas were retained and restored, while more recent finishes damaged by moisture and without documentary value were removed. Areas of exposed stone reveal the palazzo’s original construction, subsequent alterations, and accumulated material history rather than functioning as newly applied decorative surfaces.
Retaining and repairing existing fabric reduces the extent of replacement required and keeps existing building materials in use.
New bathrooms and service areas were positioned in relation to existing masonry and vaults. Residual attic spaces accommodate technical equipment and distribution networks, allowing contemporary services to be introduced with less disruption to significant rooms below. New partitions use dry construction systems, reducing invasive work while improving thermal and acoustic performance.
A restrained material palette
New interventions use a limited palette of local stone, lime, terracotta, timber, metal, and glass, selected to complement rather than imitate the historic structure. Their restrained detailing distinguishes the new work from surfaces accumulated over centuries. Natural light reveals these textures throughout the day, while discreet artificial lighting is integrated into the architecture at night.
Courtyards and outdoor space
The courtyards extend the hospitality spaces outdoors, combining existing masonry with vegetation, water, and changing daylight. A water basin and existing palm form part of this relationship between the building and its Mediterranean setting.
