An architect treats a 1535 palace like a movie set
Michele Bönan sees every project as a film, with himself as the director and guests as the stars.
The story
Michele Bönan, an Italian architect, has designed luxury hotels and residences for over 50 years, emphasizing comfort, art, and personal style. He claims his work cannot be replicated and is working on a historic Naples palace set to open in 2027.
Source: wwd.com
Our reading
Michele Bönan, who claims his work can’t be replicated, is treating a 1535 palace like a movie set, with himself as the director. He’s not just designing a hotel — he’s directing a historical epic, casting guests as nobles and setting the scene for a cinematic experience.
His insistence that each project has its own soul suggests he’s not just an architect, but a dramaturge of luxury. The idea that a 50-year career is just one long script, with him in the lead role, makes his work feel less like design and more like a personal performance art piece.
He’s not just building a palace — he’s building a legacy, one scene at a time, with a script that only he can write and a cast that’s expected to play along.
