The lounge’s open floor plan, rich walnut timber and crisply geometric furniture reference John Lautner and the relaxed language of Californian modernism, while a warm and intimate atmosphere and the presence of a traditional Stube keep the space firmly rooted in its South Tyrolean setting.
Minimalist? Marble-free? Not this alpine hotel. Aurora, Merano’s heritage family-owned hotel, has been reimagined by Milan-based Hannes Peer Architecture with respect, and with irreverence.
An international design lens meets local heritage throughout this hotel, with cinematic spaces and symbolic homages to the property’s original mid-century design. Aurora could just as easily belong in the tropics, the Mediterranean, or even a Coen brothers film—yet the hotel remains quintessentially Merano, its authentic regional character marking a new generation of design-led hospitality in South Tyrol.
The brainchild of Melanie and Philipp Aukenthaler—the third generation of the Aukenthaler family who built the hotel in the 1950s—Aurora’s redesign balances an ambitious series of elements: Alpine architectural heritage, family narratives, and global influence spanning Brazil, Californian modernism, and cinema. The siblings collaborated closely with Peer to realise their vision for “the most international hotel in Merano,” while also celebrating its generational legacy and local context on the city’s Passer Promenade.
Now complete, phase one of the project spans the redesign of the hotel’s interiors across four floors, 18 guestrooms, a Listening Bar and external architectural updates. From its original ‘50s modernist architecture to its remodelling in the ‘70s, Peer’s design centred on Aurora’s legacy as an evolving cultural centrepiece in Merano for almost six decades. A native South Tyrolean himself, Peer ensured this sense of contextual authenticity took prominence. “The vision was to make Aurora the most international hotel in Merano, and maybe even in the region, but it’s also an extremely local, intimate project for me,” he shares. “I wanted to reimagine and reintroduce this regional character; from paying homage to the hotel’s original architecture and furnishings, to the choice of materials we used, to the local artisans we worked with. It’s not about erasing traces of time or history.”
Merano-based artist Ursula Huber created the panelled concrete bas-relief titled Horizon in the reception. With commanding proportions and a highly textured surface, the work enhances the entrance’s cinematic atmosphere. Pictured: Alexia Petsinis experiencing the mural first hand. Photography courtesy of Alexia Petsinis
Aurora’s reception is a tactile homage to South Tyrolean materials, makers and artisanal heritage. Locally sourced stone features in a bespoke terrazzo floor, while a custom mahogany desk channels alluring mid-century proportions.
The sculptural Paysage S chandelier by 6:AM becomes an immediate focal point, complemented by ‘Horizon’, a concrete bas-relief by Merano-based artist Ursula Huber. These layered textures create a cinematic sense of movement and atmosphere. Photography courtesy of Alexia Petsinis
Photography courtesy of Alexia Petsinis
The guest rooms extend Aurora’s alpine narrative with the intimate, residential character of 1970s interiors. Pagoda-style ceilings, custom-designed furnishings and low sculptural beds with leather detailing are integrated with rust-toned velvet sofas, sculptural mirrors and atmospheric lighting. Open bathroom elements featuring local stone complete the rooms’ tactile palette.
Photography courtesy of Alexia Petsinis
Aurora’s regional character is not just preserved but celebrated through a narrative of authentic local materials and refined nods to the property’s heritage. A bold architectural statement in Merano when it was first built in the ‘50s, the hotel’s original brass, travertine and Laas white marble elements are accentuated by local walnut timber from South Tyrol, which continues throughout. On the ground floor, a bespoke terrazzo flooring composed of locally sourced stones lines the reception, while the hotel’s restaurant, ARTÈ, integrates original ‘70s interiors by South Tyrolean carpenter Herbert Kinkelin. These include sculptural brass details, room dividers, and high-relief concrete. Additional inspiration from Alpine culture includes the Stube in the ground-floor lounge—a traditional South Tyrolean ceramic-covered fireplace that also signifies a welcoming, intimate living space—and the continuation of dark timber and walnut tones throughout the guest rooms.
Peer continued the regional narrative through collaborations with local artisans and project partners. Rier, the South Tyrol-based carpenters who crafted all of Aurora’s custom millwork and wooden elements, also created the sculptural mahogany-toned wooden desk in the reception. The piece, Peer explains, has the same nostalgic and alluring mid-century proportions as the reception desk in Milan’s Teatro Manzoni. Additionally, Lichtstudio from Trentino-Alto Adige completed the hotel’s lighting design, and Bolzano-based Lebensraum Interior realised the hotel’s upholstery; namely, a ‘70s-inspired rust-toned velvet observed throughout the lounge and guest rooms.
Aurora itself is a material buffet; home to an interplay of textures and finishes that blur the lines between art, sculpture and Organic Architecture. The textural narrative begins outside the hotel, where the entrance—repositioned and designed anew—comes to life with what Peer calls “a very non-South Tyrolean” ceramic artwork featuring over 2,000 colourful handmade tiles, created by Officine Saffi. Inside the reception, the modular Paysage S chandelier by 6:AM is an immediate focal point, its textured cast-glass tiles reflecting Merano’s alpine light in an atmospheric new dimension.
Between generational influence, local artisans and long-standing collaborators, Aurora’s redesign certainly appears to be the “family affair” that Peer describes. The architect’s mother, Merano-based artist Ursula Huber, created the panelled concrete bas-relief titled ‘Horizon’ in the reception. With its fossilised surface texture, the work evokes shifting perceptions of time and place, enhancing the entrance’s cinematic atmosphere. “Aurora feels symbolic for me because I embody exactly what the hotel is about: I’m an international South Tyrolean. On one hand, I’m extremely connected to my roots. On the other hand, I’m on an aeroplane travelling somewhere every other week. Internationality is the key. This hotel represents what we do as an architecture studio, and it also represents me as a person,” Peer reflects.
The Listening Bar embodies Peer’s vision of “nostalgic utopia” that balances heritage inspiration and bold design exploration. A cinematic homage to the glamour of international 1970s design culture, the space layers Pompeian red tones, smoked mirrors, deep-pile carpet and lacquered surfaces to create a transportive interior environment.
By “internationality”, he refers to a sweeping global design lens inspired by the Aukenthaler family’s love for travel and cultural curiosity, which continues with Melanie and Philipp. This is where the architect’s irreverence comes into play; layering and contrasting diverse architectural styles and historical references. However, it’s the kind of irreverence that only comes from understanding a project’s context and legacy as well as Peer understands Aurora’s. The lounge’s generous open floor plan references John Lautner’s Sheats–Goldstein Residence (1962), while broader inspiration from Californian and Brazilian modernism is observed in horizontal wood blinds and clean geometric furnishings that create a sense of warm informality.
Bespoke lamps and wall sconces throughout the hotel echo glamorous visions of Gabrielle Crespi and ‘70s design culture, as does the mirrored Listening Bar, the first of its kind in Merano. The space’s Pompeian red tones, smoked mirrors, deep-pile carpet and lacquered surfaces exemplify Peer’s design methodology based on “nostalgic utopia”: an approach that balances heritage inspiration and a sense of atmospheric revelry achieved through bold material experimentations.
Due to commence next year, phase two of Aurora’s redesign will include a rooftop area with an infinity pool and bar overlooking Merano and the nearby alps, designed with an open floor plan in the style of a mid-century modernist villa. Additional guest rooms will be remodelled and refreshed, and three new suites will be added. While the hotel’s new identity is, as Peer reflects, “all very new for South Tyrol”, it seems to have already won over Merano’s local clientele. International guests are also making a special visit to the historical city to discover a new generation of alpine hospitality through this distinctive design language. “One needs to be very reverent to be irreverent. Given Aurora’s heritage, I felt compelled to really respect and engage with its social and historical context, first paying homage to what was there,” Peer notes. “Only when you have really done your homework and studied well can you dare to be irreverent.”
Architect Hannes Peer
One of the clearest expressions of Aurora’s original character, the restaurant retains its original 1970s interiors by South Tyrolean carpenter Herbert Kinkelin. Sculptural brass details, room dividers and high-relief concrete are integrated into the redesign, reflecting Peer’s deep research and reverence for the hotel’s history.
Colour, texture and sense of tropical exuberance define Aurora’s distinctly ‘non-South Tyrolean’ entrance located on Merano’s Passer Promenade. A bespoke bas-relief by Officine Saffi brings together 2,000 handmade ceramic tiles in more than 30 tones, setting the scene for the hotel’s exuberant international character. Photography courtesy of Alexia Petsinis
