Inside Herzog & de Meuron’s fine dining restaurant for Italian resort

Herzog & de Meuron has completed the redesign of the L’Aria restaurant at the Mandarin Oriental Lago di Como in Blevio, Italy. The overhaul of the fine dining restaurant marks the third project the firm has carried out for the resort. 

Rather than replacing the existing pavilion, the project focused on adapting and extending the structure to improve the space’s functionality and relationship with the surrounding gardens. A new covered veranda extends the building 16 feet toward the landscape, creating a weather-protected dining area that can be used throughout the year while adding a terrace overlooking Lake Como. Folding wood-framed windows allow the veranda to be opened or enclosed depending on seasonal conditions.

Inside, the restaurant is organized around a central marble bar that functions as a breakfast buffet during the day before transitioning into a venue for aperitiv...