About Riad Romeo
A contemporary metaphysical space where Moroccan craft meets minimal continental design. More than a place to stay, an experience, a chance to delve into Romeo Gigli’s creative process at 360°.
The traditional Moroccan Riad structure revisited to create a game of light and shadows. Local craft, such as zellige bajmaat, tadelakt, handcarved wood, carlage beldi tiles, and metalwork, unconventionally utilised and placed to heighten the dialogue between Orient and Occident.
Embracing the beauty of the handmade, everything in Riad Romeo from the doors, to the lamps and even the furniture has either been designed by Romeo and made with local artisans, or collected in Romeo’s lifetime of travels. This makes Riad Romeo a “window onto Romeo Gigli’s world” and effectively a view of his creative process from the translation and communion of culture, tradition and innovation. Romeo Gigli studied architecture as a young student and has always thought of his projects at 360°. Each collection came from a dedicated research of a culture or peoples or region, all read with the same soundtrack. Each of his spaces, may they be studios or shops, were always designed and ideated by Romeo as a whole. His unequivocal focus is communion, whether it be between his work and other designers (such as Yoji Yamamoto or Comme des Garçons) or between his work and ethnic pieces.
This same philosophy stands as the epicenter of Riad Romeo. Another passion of Romeo has always been designer collaborations; many feature in the Riad. Notably, Jacopo Foggini’s masterpieces.
COLLABORATION WITH JACOPO FOGGINI
Jacopo Foggini, a lifetime friend of Romeo and Lara, started experimenting in the late 90s with a material used in his family business, methacrylate. In 1997 Jacopo had his first solo exhibition in Romeo Gigli’s space in Milan. Since then he has grown to be an internationally renowned designer with his work exhibited in over 60 galleries and venues worldwide.
Riad Romeo features Jacopo’s Mini Octopus in Yellow, his Jellyfish in greens and blues, and an installation piece born out of a collaboration with Romeo, Dew Waterfall, on the stairs. Finally, the terrace bar is made in Jacopo’s polycarbonate, and the chairs are from his Veronica Collection for the Italian design company, Edra.
