Step Inside Lalique’s Exquisite New Hotel in Zurich
The storied the crystal and glassware maker transforms a 15th century property into the opulent Villa Florhof with space for just 13 suites
Lalique has taken an intimate approach to its freshly opened Zurich boutique hotel: Villa Florhof has just 13 individually designed rooms and suites inside a heritage-listed property, situated between the city’s historic Old Town and university quarter. The building on on Florhofgasse was acquired by Lalique Group chairman Silvio Denz and Stadler Rail chairman Peter Spuhler in 2022, setting in motion an extensive restoration.
Green & Mingarelli Design was responsible for the architecture and interiors, while the Lalique Interior Design Studio created more than a dozen bespoke crystal and architectural-glass installations specifically for the property. Butterflies and mulberry leaves recur as references to Zurich’s silk production tradition, appearing in crystal panels, lighting, and screens, with the mulberry-leaf motif extending even to some of the door hardware.
Rather than using Lalique’s extensive collection of home goods simply as decoration, the project incorporates that visionary output into the architecture itself with the staircase providing perhaps the clearest example. Individually illuminated crystal butterflies rise through the stairwell, while gold-luster Alizé pendants dangle within its center.
The butterfly motif becomes more elaborate still in the forthcoming Signature Restaurant, where large crystal examples, each illuminated from within, cover the ceiling in alternating orientations. On the ground floor, panels by Damien Hirst, crafted in collaboration with Lalique, form a wall installation.
The hotel’s Bar & Brasserie is already operating as an all-day restaurant under head chef John Schiffmann and opens onto the garden terrace. Below, the restored historic vaulted wine cellar serves as the hotel’s repository but can also be booked for private tastings, dinners, and events. The Salon Davidoff provides a dedicated cigar lounge, complete with cigar storage and bespoke sandblasted Art Deco foliage doors designed by the Lalique Interior Design Studio.
