A multi-colored building appears on Via Tadino: "It lights up a street full of dull houses."

The yellow, purple, green, and orange façade was chosen by the Nettuno Hotel, which has been family-run for forty years. And it surprised residents in Porta Venezia.

A façade appears on Via Tadino that immediately stands out: colors like yellow, purple, green, and orange stand out strongly against the more neutral backdrop of the surrounding buildings. The building is that of the Nettuno Hotel, a family-run one-star hotel. It has been managed for over forty years by the Tronconi family, who purchased the license in the 1980s.

The idea to redo the façade came from the owner's daughter, Valentina Tronconi, a professional designer who now lives on the top floor of the same building. "When I showed the project to my dad, his hair stood on end," she says, "but I wanted to do something that would brighten up a street full of dull houses."

Her belief is that Milan is profoundly changing, even in the way façades are conceived, which are no longer just a part of the building, but "a true communication tool." "I wanted to use color as a therapeutic tool," the designer continues, "and convey the warmth found inside the hotel, frequented primarily by young travelers."

A few steps away is the "rainbow" nightlife district. It is in this context that the new façade of the Hotel Nettuno fits in, and although the colors are not explicitly inspired by the Gay District, "there is a reference to the personalities we obviously welcome," adds Valentina Tronconi. Not too far away on Via Plinio is the former Hotel Demidoff, now renamed Casual Eclettico, which in the past was the center of controversy for its all-black façade. Near Via Tadino, however, the neighborhood seems to appreciate the arrival of the new colors: "Finally a spark of joy," "After so many years, it's nice to see a bit of color," are just some of the comments from those who have lived and worked in the neighborhood for a long time.

Concerns have also been raised about the Nettuno regarding possible municipal regulations on facade colors, a topic that has often sparked debate in recent years. "We were supposed to start work this summer, but due to municipal delays, we had to postpone," explains owner Maurizio Tronconi, who has entrusted the paperwork to an architect. However, just like the black hotel, the Nettuno is not a protected building and is therefore not subject to any particular restrictions. This is confirmed by the Urban Planning department of the Municipality of Milan, specifying that there is no real "color plan" to follow: outside of buildings subject to historical-artistic constraints, as the designer also confirms, the choice of what to do with the facades remains largely entrusted to the owners.

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