Located in the Furnas Valley, Terra Nostra Garden Hotel was built in the 1930s with Art Deco-influenced architecture by the Terra Nostra Society, led by Vasco Bensaude. In the 1990s, the Bensaude Group, which also oversaw the Botanical Park, expanded the hotel’s capacity with the construction of a new wing. It is considered one of the best “green retreats” in the world and, since its renovation, it has received several accolades in the hotel industry.
As it was extremely dated, the hotel required the renovation of its spaces, infrastructure and technical specifications. In collaboration with architect António Pardal, PPS developed the interior design project. Seeking inspiration from the park and from the style of the hotel, the intervention in the guest rooms of the new wing combined Art Deco furniture and light fixtures with a palette evoking the ferrous, green and floral colors of nature that surround the building. In these guest rooms, where there was no formal design of the era that marked the atmosphere of the rooms in the Deco wing, the PPS approach allowed an approximation between the two wings.
TERRA NOSTRA GARDEN HOTEL
SÃO MIGUEL, AZORES, PORTUGAL
In the Deco wing, the woodwork in the suites—each renamed after a flower—was maintained. In the remaining guest rooms, a design was created with lilac-hued paintings, evoking the horizontal lines that are so characteristic of the hotel.
In its intervention, PPS used original photos that transformed the x-rays of endemic flowers into large-format pictures on display in the new wing guest rooms and in the Deco wing, reinforcing the connection to the Botanical Park.
In the restaurant, the installation of Art Deco panels provided the space with more private environments, which also work in an open-floor plan layout, based on the needs. The floral wallpaper with golden designs reflects the diffused light of the wall fixtures and ceiling lamp, reinforcing or moderating the intimate character. Creating a central distribution space, retro-inspired furniture was designed to have a decorative function when the buffet is not in progress.
The large lounge and bar areas in the new wing of the hotel became more dynamic with the addition of several new points of interest. It was along this path that a graphic and artistic intervention was carried out, depicting the birth of the hotel that blends with the family history of the Bensaude Group.
With a strong connection to the arts, it was possible to bring into these spaces iconic large-scale paintings by classic Azorean painters, in dialog with a modern light and stone installation developed by PPS. This piece became the foundation for the definition of colors that sought well-being through upholstery and textures, enabling the harmonization of classic style with contemporary comfort. The bar was extended to the outdoors with a welcoming sitting area, again reinforcing the connection to the park.
