Situated on a headland overlooking Lake Sempach in the heart of Switzerland, the Sonne Seehotel has been welcoming guests in a variety of constellations for 172 years. As part of an extensive renovation project in 2022, Swiss-based interior designer Ushi Tamborriello and her team were tasked with conceiving the lobby, restaurants, conference rooms and suites of the hotel.
Following the owners’ wishes to “extend the hotel's eponymous sun within the context of the universe,” Tamborriello created open interiors in close harmony with the hotel’s history and surrounding lake, referencing the sun, moon, and stars. Guests can discover a sphere of luxury in each of the 16 new suites—a sense perfectly encapsulated by the sculptural AXOR One collection and AXOR Universal Accessories, finished in Brushed Bronze.
The hotel’s interpretation of light and space invites guests to a journey of discovery. A playful outer facade of linear wooden slats, developed by architecture and project management firm A6 AG, resembles a bed of reeds through its vertical structure. Inside, this motif takes on a warmer semblance within the spacious lobby. The lobby acts as the hub of the hotel complex, connecting the newly constructed building with the structure of the original hotel. Upon entering, guests are immediately stunned by an exposed coffered ceiling of glazed concrete suspending a series of seemingly floating golden discs. Sourced from formerly used lamps and lights of the hotel, these discs are playful representations of the sun in tandem with other celestial bodies.
For all its celestial references, the Sonne Seehotel remains deeply connected with its immediate surroundings. The hotel’s restaurant works with local fishermen and regional ingredients, and guests need only turn to Lake Sempach for celebrations in the “Sunlight” and “Sunshine” rooms, or for a cocktail in the “Moonlight Bar” to remind themselves of where they are.
Water plays a starring role in each of the suites, whether as a bathtub on the terrace, a picturesque view of the lake, or in the AXOR One collection in the bathrooms. The AXOR One Overhead shower 280 2jet features a spray disc with a distinctive, graphic design that offers Rain and PowderRain spray types, which use the minimum amount of water to luxuriously immerse the user. The AXOR Universal Accessories have been finished in Brushed Bronze for a precise match, and the accessories’ universal forms resonate with the archetypal AXOR One products.
Elegant, reduced and pure - the essence of the AXOR One collection is simplicity. As an all-in-one combination, the shower pipe is a clear appearance in the shower thanks to its integrated wall connection.