Book presentation: ROOM WITH A VIEW

A ROOM WITH A VIEW is set in and around the Pensione Seguso, a historic, family-run hotel in Venice. As part of the seminar of the same name at the Bauhaus University Weimar, led by architecture professor Verena von Beckerath together with art historian Sassa Trülzsch, contributions were gathered that range from the historical to the anecdotal to the artistic and beyond. The result is a holistic and comprehensive analysis not only of the pensione but also of what hospitality and tourism mean today, both in Venice and around the world.

The authors of this publication have diverse backgrounds, which is also reflected in the diversity of tone and format. A ROOM WITH A VIEW includes a reflection and collage by urologist and art lover Albrecht Kastein, photographs by architect and photographer Andrew Alberts, architect Oda Pälmke's personal account of her time at the Pensione, an insightful interview with owners Yvonne Matijas Seguso and Lawrence Hoque, and a contribution by architect and urban researcher Ludovico Centis, who accompanies art and architecture critic Nikolaus Pevsner during his stays in Venice.

Much like Pensione, the book defies rigid categorisation; it alternates between written contributions and photographs, each adding new nuances to the work and changing the narrative perspective. As you wander through the Pensione over the course of this issue, meeting the owners and delving into the history of Venice, the question keeps coming up: how can we live together?

Authors: Ludovico Centis, Lawrence Hoque, Albrecht Kastein, Oda Pälmke, Yvonne Matijas Seguso