Artistic Virility

Croatian architectural firm, Studio 3LHD was entrusted with the transformation of Hotel Adriatic into a modern day luxurious masterpiece. It now serves as one of the main attractions of old town Rovinj, in Coastal Istria.

- Priyanka Menon

Founded in 1994, in Zagreb, Croatia, Studio 3LHD was commissioned to transform the interiors of Hotel Adriatic, a 103 year old edifice, nestled in the heart of Rovinj, Istria’s beautiful and quaint fishing port into a modern and eclectic blend of art and architecture with fantastical elements.

Artists hailing from Slovenia, Germany, France, Croatia, Italy, and Austria came together to work on the concepts Studio 3LHD devised. Designed by Lana Cavar, Ana Tomic, and Marino Krstačić-Furić, the logo of Hotel Adriatic is a classic example of the old and new. It consists of two typographies - classical and modern - drawing inspiration from fonts that were used over a century ago, when the building was constructed.

While maintaining the authentic and historical façade of the building, in due deference to the conservationists, the interiors give way to a modern, yet classical ambience that has a unique coming-together of reality and fantasy. Think fairytale.

One of the main challenges faced by the team was the constant ‘fine-tuning’ of the exhibited artworks. This is where the collaborative genius of all the artists is visible - in every piece of site-specific art. Art installations tailor-made to suit the interior site and smaller works of art dotting the spaces around work as the main features of this transformation.