New life for an icon of Italian Rationalism
Former Banca Popolare di Lecco, Piazza Garibaldi, Lecco
The heart of Lecco is set to be transformed by an ambitious urban regeneration and restoration project that will return the former “Banca Popolare di Lecco” building, overlooking Piazza Garibaldi and abandoned for over twelve years, to the city. This project carries strong historical, cultural, and economic significance, marking the rebirth of a symbol of Italian Rationalism. The building, originally completed in 1941 to a design by Mino Fiocchi, bears the signature of Piero Portaluppi, one of the leading figures of twentieth-century Italian architecture.
Portaluppi is known for landmark works that have shaped Milan’s architectural identity, including the Arengario in Piazza Duomo and the Palazzo dell’Arte at Parco Sempione, as well as numerous public and residential buildings that combine monumentality, geometric rigour, and refined attention to detail. In the Lecco building, Portaluppi redesigned the façade in 1957, defining its current formal character.
The transformation project is led by 753 Hospitality, a Milan-based entrepreneurial group operating in the high-end hospitality sector, supported by the fund Alchemy Partners and developed in synergy with the Municipality of Lecco.
DVArea has been appointed for the integrated architectural design. The intervention required a particularly careful and considered approach: working on a building of such historical value meant operating with precision and restraint, respectfully preserving its formal and material identity while reinterpreting it with contemporary sensitivity. The core design challenge was to establish a balanced dialogue between preservation and transformation, integrating new functions, building systems, and international standards without altering the original rationalist character.
Through the use of BIM methodology, the project combines conservation and enhancement of the building’s historic identity – approximately 10,000 sqm – with the most advanced requirements of contemporary hospitality. The new lifestyle hotel will feature 144 guestrooms, a restaurant, two bars, a wellness area with gym, and a rooftop with panoramic swimming pool overlooking Lake Como. The property will join the Tribute Portfolio collection by Marriott International, becoming a new international hospitality destination.
Beyond architectural restoration, the project represents a broader urban regeneration initiative. In synergy with the Municipality, the intervention includes the redevelopment of Piazza Garibaldi, the arcades of Via Sauro, and the surrounding public spaces, transforming them into a renewed urban living room dedicated to social interaction and soft mobility.
The goal is to return to the community an iconic yet contemporary place where local identity and international standards coexist in balance, generating long-term value for the city and its territory.
10.000
GFA
[m²]
144
CONTEMPORARY DESIGN GUESTROOMS
12
YEARS OF ABANDONMENT PRIOR TO REDEVELOPMENT
200
SEATS FOR THE NEW CONFERENCE CENTRE
“Working on the former Banca Popolare di Lecco demands discipline: every intervention requires clarity, respect, and the ability to distinguish what can be transformed from what must be preserved. The complexity is not only technical but cultural: intervening on a work of this level entails responsibility, as every contemporary decision confronts a structure already complete, solid in its identity and its urban role.”
“We want this hotel to become a reference point for the citizens of Lecco and its extraordinary territory – a place where people can enjoy a coffee or dine on the rooftop while feeling at home. Our success will be measured by how much the people of Lecco perceive this space as their own.”
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