"Building Harmony: My Journey from Hotel Heir to Architect"
I was raised in a holiday hotel, Hotel Engel, in Ortisei, Italy, where my days were spent observing both guests and staff while also studying psychology and the arts. This distinct upbringing led me to become deeply interested in how people respond to aesthetic spaces, especially when taken out of their regular environments. It was this interest that guided me into a career in hotel architecture.
I pursued my architectural education in Austria and Florence, where I focused on theories of perception. I consciously avoided getting entangled in debates over stylistic trends, an approach I continue to maintain.
Having grown up in a setting where I was destined to become a hotelier, I became intimately familiar with the multifaceted operations that keep a hotel running smoothly. Over the last 40 years, I have seen the industry evolve dramatically, necessitating specialized planners, engineers, and constant updates in both hardware and software.
Despite having constructed more than 100 hotels, the essence of my creative work remains consistent: "I consider myself a guest in this world and strive for harmony—a harmony that aligns with the environment, its history, and its 'genius loci', or spirit."
This guiding philosophy has fueled my passion and directed my work in various countries, including France, Austria, and Germany, and most extensively over the past two decades, in Italy. As I transition some of this responsibility to my daughter, I do so with the assurance that she will be guided by the wisdom and knowledge I have accumulated over the years.
