Costa's "C" Dream

On December 22, in the heart of Genoa, Costa Crociere will be opening an innovative venue where people can go and relax, alone or in company. The “C”dream is unlike other places – it is a destination where you can enjoy yourself in a dreamlike atmosphere. A lounge where those who enter feel less like patrons and more like masters of their own destinies. In fact, at The “C”dream each Guest is free to choose how they wish to spend their time, depending on their personality, interests and tastes – just as has always been the case on Costa Crociere’s ships.

“This new showroom, which is dedicated to Genoa and located in the very heart of the city,” said Pier Luigi Foschi, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Costa Crociere, “has been conceived and designed to offer an imaginary journey in an atmosphere providing a foretaste of the wonderful cruises on our ships. The venue has an international flavor,” Mr. Foschi added, “and is an elegant multipurpose area; the architecture is harmonious and the interior decoration has been lovingly designed with attention to detail, in keeping with the style of our Company.”

Costa Crociere has devised and created a place that epitomizes the world of Costa. The “C”dream, Costa Crociere’s new lounge & bar, will allow people to sample ashore the same atmosphere they can find on board. Sensations, emotions and well-being at the service of the Guest, beyond the limits of art and design, forming a place that is never the same but which differs, from one day to the next, with different lighting arrangements, thanks to cutting-edge technology and art direction, as a tribute to the destinations visited by the Company’s ships. Here, the air is scented with a variety of aromas: from the flowers of the Caribbean to the cold ambiences of Northern Europe, vanilla, musk, lavender pine and sandalwood. There will also be music in the air with soft notes evoking different memories, as well as the chance to sample a selection of various types of tea, hot chocolate, wine and spirits served by Belloni & Belloni, the younger generation of the Zeffirino family of restaurateurs, plus complete information about the world of Costa Crociere and all the latest news.

The architects and designers Marcello Albini and Emanuela Venturini describe The “C”dream as follows: “It’s paradise ‘found’, a place that travels without being erratic; it’s full of color, but the shades of the lighting effects and stylish furnishing are enhanced by the elegance of gold and silver; it’s subtle, youthful, magical. It’s a score turned into music, a piece of writing turned into poetry: the design is imaginative, fresh, self-assured and uninhibited but without improvisation or banality. The objective: to make the area “visible”, comfortable, relaxing, pleasant and full of humanity so that it becomes a journey into well-being. It’s a building where design approaches art and combines with leading-edge technologies, so you have finishing touches and the processing of refined materials created by master craftsmen. The dominant color is ivory, which is neutral and can be illuminated with shades of bright red, sidereal blue and yellow light to create atmospheres conveying blissful images; above all, the neutral tones provide a backdrop without boundaries for the many colors of the furnishings, flowers, sculptures and props that create the dream… The “C”dream. And all this occurs following the central idea guiding the design, although there are no hard and fast limits and flexibility is the watchword with dynamic, adaptable areas where boundaries blur, styles intersect and language opens to a multitude of facets of personal interpretations. While it is different from the architectural style of Costa Crociere’s recent ships, it does still reflect their originality, with the same careful choice of materials and blended elegance.”

INSIDE The “C”dream

The new Genoese lounge & bar is divided into different areas, all of which are designed to surprise the onlooker. Let your instinct guide you: it’s up to you to choose which part you enjoy most.

The main entrance has transparent turquoise windows reminiscent of the sea, while the ceiling features a painted woodland that is reflected on the floor like a mirror. The centerpiece of The “C”dream is the Spirula: created by Jacopo Foggini, this spiral-shaped work of art is 4 meters high and 4.4 meters in diameter. It separates the entrance from the surprising world that lies beyond. The Spirula, which is made of Perspex, conveys the tempting atmosphere of The “C”dream, the idea of entering a new, unexpected dimension; it marks the beginning of your journey.

Near the entrance is a “suspended lounge” with an amazing swing hanging by two precious ropes and a gold yellow velvet seat, where the images on the giant water screen, located right in front of you, will take you on a fantastic journey amidst butterflies, flowers, colors and shapes.

For those who enjoy reading, there are well-stocked bookshelves with publications on the historical ships that set sail from Genoa, tourist magazines, coffee table books full of photos of fabulous destinations and the finest works on the history of Genoa and its palazzi, which you can browse through while sitting in one of the comfortable Baxter armchairs.

There’s also a corner dedicated to Costa Crociere’s own history with a spectacular collection of prints showing the Company’s ships of yesteryear.

The Hi Tech zone comprising the Internet Point is furnished with inviting chaises lounges and plush armchairs fitted with 5 Hewlett Packard Tablet PCs; these have a high speed fiber optic connection and web hosting by Fastweb at 10 megabits per second guaranteeing you Internet navigation that is bound to surprise. What’s more, you can experience Virtual Reality by trying out a voyage of discovery to the World of Costa Crociere.

And you’ll also be impressed by the talking mirror, hand decorated like a piece of antique lacework by Sandra Casagrande and Roberto Recalcati, which you can listen to under a shower of petals.

The bathroom facilities are in line with the rest of the building. This is not an area intended to be hidden from view – far from it! By way of example, the entrance to the washrooms welcomes visitors with the famous “red mouth couch” designed by Salvador Dalì, a classic of contemporary design.

INTERIOR DECORATION HIGHLIGHTS

The floor and the wall of the bathroom are made with glitter resins by the firm Gobbetto and decorated by two artists: Elena Giorcelli and Gill Ruschetti. Above the bar counter is a superb Venini glass chandelier; the adjoining area is reserved for private meetings and special occasions, and features a spectacular Foggini chandelier, a divan and three “Alfred Special” pouffes by Baxter. In the bathroom area, in addition to the Gobbetto resin floor there are huge poppies looming large on the walls, while the wash basins are made of stone and have jet spray. Other details include the red lights and the octopus-shaped knobs designed by Nicola Salvatore, an academic at the Brera Academy of Art.

… and a little more information

• In Costa’s “historical corner” there is an orange “Victoria & Albert” sofa made by Moroso and flanked by two gold “thrones” upholstered with handcrafted damask cloth.

• Movable furniture: “The Mouth” couch designed by Salvator Dalì, white “rocking chairs” made by Rossi d’Albizzate, pouffes – armchair, all of which can be arranged as required.

• The rouate leading to the washrooms: indicated by the ironic shapes of the tables in resin-bonded plaster made by the sculptor Giovanni Smeraldi.

• State-of-the-art technology and complete relaxation in the chaise lounge made once again by Rossi d’Albizzate, personalised with a floral print and flanked by Sedus tables with Hewlett Packard PCs.

• Gold-silver panels in the windows, plexiglass ceiling in the entrance and talking mirror with projection of poetry: the entire setting is decorated by the artists Sandra Casagrande and Roberto Recalcati.

• The floor and the steps in the entrance as well as the bathroom ceiling are covered with undulated silvery glass sheets researched and developed by the company AeL. Croci and produced in their furnaces.