Faern Arosa Altein Is a Woodsy Wonder, and Other News

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Faern Arosa Altein Is a Woodsy Wonder

Nestled in the snow peaks of the Swiss Alps, the new Faern Arosa Altein is the first full-hotel commission from Run for the Hills. It’s a woodsy wonder, greeting guests with a Belle Epoque concierge and a grand marble staircase leading downstairs to a brasserie and bar. But first, the rooms. Faern’s 126 keys comprise singles, doubles, and deluxe corner suites with balconies overlooking the Arosa rooftops; their palette, a blend of crisp black, terrazzo, timbre, and clay paint, is warmed up with cozy touches like Swiss green cross wool bed blankets and charming throw-back photography from the Slim Aarons collection. 

Days are best spent seasonally, whether snowboarding the nearby cliffs or parachuting into their verdant, summery valleys—or, on inclement days, unwinding in the town’s largest spa. Nights belong to jewel-toned bouclé banquets of the aforementioned Zuc Brasserie, with a nightcap on a nook sofa at the Alchemilla Parlour Bar. And for those who can’t risk a moment apart from the beloved Swiss landscapes, the Alpensand Panoramic Restaurant & Social Club offers warm cocktails and refreshing aperitifs with picture-perfect mountain views complimented by alpine-inspired wallpaper by Mind the Gap. —Jesse Dorris

A petition aims to save Milan’s Fondazione Achille Castiglioni, which is facing closure. 

Milan’s Fondazione Achille Castiglioni, the studio where Castiglioni and his brother Pier Giacomo created some of today’s most beloved designs, including Flos’ Arco and Zanotta’s Mezzadro and Sella stool, is at risk of closing. Since Castiglioni’s death in 2002, his children transformed the studio into a space to preserve his work and design approach. However, the building’s owners have asked the foundation to vacate the property, threatening to destroy a crucial space within Italian design history. A petition, led by architect Pierluigi Masini and supported by members of the design community, is hoping to save the foundation.

LVMH’s proposed Cheval Blanc hotel in Beverly Hills hits a stumbling block with locals.

LVMH has been planning to build their first stateside Cheval Blanc hotel in Beverly Hills for almost three years. Designed by New York architect Peter Marino, the hotel will feature 109 rooms, ground-floor retail on Rodeo Drive, restaurants, meeting rooms, a spa, and a private club for 500 members. However, the project has faced opposition from residents and the hotel workers’ union, which collected enough signatures to trigger a special election on May 23. The referendum challenges the zoning change that allows the hotel to be nine stories on the Beverly side; the Rodeo Drive side will stay at four stories. Another issue is the development agreement that doesn’t allow the city to change the development rules once the project is approved. If either referendum receives a “no” vote, the hotel will not move forward in its current form. If this effort is not successful, LVMH says the space will likely be used for retail.

Brooklyn firm SO – IL becomes the latest design practice to achieve B Corp status.

SO – IL, a Brooklyn-based architecture firm, has recently been certified as a B Corp, joining 69 other certified architecture firms in the U.S. and 167 worldwide. The certification recognizes companies that prioritize social and environmental impact alongside financial success. “We’re proud to be one of them allowing for company structures built around transparency, accountability, and inclusion,” the firm said in a statement when announcing the news. “We’ll continuously strive to do better and use business as a force for good.”

Steve McQueen blasts the tepid response from politicians about his film Grenfell.

Steve McQueen, the award-winning artist and director, has expressed disappointment with the lack of response from British politicians to Grenfell, his short film about the devastating 2017 London fire. McQueen invited dozens of MPs to watch the 24-minute film at the Serpentine Gallery, but only four politicians, including Gordon Brown and Michael Gove, responded and visited. McQueen expressed his frustration that the majority of MPs failed to reply, calling it “just not good enough” and emphasizing the importance of not forgetting the tragedy. The film is dedicated to those who died, survivors, and the bereaved, and after public screenings, it will be placed in the care of the Tate and the Museum of London’s collections.

The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation opens Camp Taliesin West for aspiring architects.

Young aspiring architects in Scottsdale, Arizona, can participate in Camp Taliesin West, a summer camp program hosted by Frank Lloyd Wright’s foundation. Children aged 6 to 17 can explore architecture, engineering, art, and photography at Taliesin West, the architect’s former winter home and studio. The program combines hands-on projects with academic theories based on Wright’s design principles and offers virtual participation through Zoom. Age-specific themes include replica textile blocks and stained glass windows for younger children and 3D models and public art for older ages.

Marriott becomes the first hotel group to display resort fees in initial search results.

Starting on May 15, Marriott will reveal resort fees in the total prices displayed in initial search results on its website and mobile app. This follows a 2021 settlement with Pennsylvania that required the hotel operator to include fees in upfront total prices. Marriott is the first global hotel group to make this change, which applies to extra fees for services and amenities offered during a hotel or resort stay. Other hotel groups and travel agencies have continued to charge fees for services or amenities at some properties, burying them in “taxes and fees.”

Today’s attractive distractions:

Can genetically modified houseplants clean the air inside your home?

Vases bought for $10 at a thrift sale ended up being Art Deco treasures.

The daughter of a Warhol superstar recounts her tumultuous childhood.

A centenarian artist shares his secret to longevity and staying positive.