'Words are not mere vocal labels... superimposed upon an already given order of things.' - Ferdinand de Saussure
Aman, Aman, Aman. It is a mystical chant for the devoted, a rallying cry for the tribe of the initiated. These two syllables (meaning 'place of peace') have transcended their origin to become the singular evocation of a dream, the sonic expression of emotion and the semiotic representation of a life lived without compromise - in peace and everlasting beauty.
In contemporary culture, the Aman Resorts have attained a sort of mythological status, offering the perfect balance between extraordinary service, discreet luxury, ecological consciousness and the sense of ascending into a parallel universe where everyone is like-minded in their attitude towards taste and beauty. Lounge by the pool and you'll immediately fall into effortless conversation with a legendary watchmaker, supermodel, film star or business titan, all of whom have cast away their external armour and are interacting instead with the pure, unbridled, naive joy of belonging to the Aman world. The Aman today provides a sense of belonging to the world's global elite. In many ways, it acts as the ultimate discreet private club.
An amusing demonstration of Aman Resorts's extraordinary brand equity was recounted to me recently by a friend (a Singaporean business legend and partner to Adrian Zecha, whose anonymity I feel obliged to protect). He was transiting through Paris one day when he received a call from Pierangelo Bottinelli, the legendary Swiss financier whose family is also the single largest shareholder of the venerable Swiss watch brand Audemars Piguet.
'He told me that I absolutely had to accompany him to this evening at some historic Swiss castle,' my friend explained. 'He insisted that it was the ultimate networking opportunity and that the absolute who's who of the European social/financial community would be there. To be honest, I was tired and I didn't want to go, but saying no to Pierangelo is all but impossible. Even worse, the event was black tie, so I had the arduous task of having to go and buy everything that afternoon - evening suit, cummerbund, patent shoes... Finally, I go to meet him and we drive up to this castle.
For the most part, Aman has been focused on proliferating its extraordinary equity and brand message in Asia. And so 'Aman Junkies' - the honorarium bestowed upon guests who visit the same resort twice with a 12-month period and who receive their coveted Aman Junkie T-shirt as a result - awaited the unveiling of Central Europe's first Aman Resort with dizzying levels of anticipation. The Aman in Venice is the first to be placed directly within the urban crosshairs of a metropolitan city, so it's extraordinary that, amid the sonic and sensory overload that can be Venice mid-Biennale season, Aman has managed to deliver precisely what its iconic name suggests - the promise of 'a place of peace'.
alazzo Papadopoli, as is its proper name, was commissioned by the high-profile Coccina family of Bergamao and built by architect and sculptor Giangiacomo de'Grigi who took over the direction of the legendary Scuolo Grande di San Rocco from Antonio Scarpagnino after the latter's death in 1549. The building was a masterpiece of frescoes, gild work, mirrors, silk wall facings and ornate scrolling. The palazzo was, soon after, sold to the fabulously wealthy Papadopolis family, who also bought the building next door and razed it to create one of the most spacious private gardens in all of Venice. As providence would have it, Gilberto and Bianca (the current owners) befriended Aman founder Adrian Zecha, and from there began an 18-month project to restore and transform this stunning palazzo into the Aman Canal Grande.
