DATA SHEET
Owner: Sir Hotels
Hotel operator: Sir Victor Hotel Barcelona
Architecture: Capella Garcia
Interior design: Baranowitz + Kronenberg, Sir Hotelís in-house creative team
Furnishings: All custom made items by B+K Design produced by Martinez Otero; B&B Italia, Cassina, De La Espada, GAN Rugs, Living Divani, Kettal, Molteni&C, Nanimarquina, Piet Hein Eek, Pramarstone, Riva 1920, Segis, Stellar Works, Wittmann
Lighting: &Tradition, Bocci, Flos, FontanaArte
Photo credits: Steve Herud, Mr Porter, Design Hotelô
The name pays homage to Caterina Albert ì Paradìs, a protagonist of Catalan modern literature, who decided to hide her identity behind the male nom de plume Victor Català in the wake of a scandal caused by one of her monologues. This alias was to ‘protect’ her for the rest of her long life. Besides its purpose, the hotel inherits the literary reference already contained in the architecture designed by Capella Garcià, in those sections that open in the unusual facade like pages blown by the wind.
The poetic approach also has its functional side: it ensures privacy for guests, orienting the gaze towards Passeig de Gràcia while limiting the acoustic impact of the traffic and allowing sunlight to enter the 91 units, divided between rooms and suites. Behind the undulated exterior, the conceptual character of the hotel is shaped by the vibrant personality of Barcelona, a lively, prosperous contemporary city that sets the tone of the many multifunctional spaces for socializing – used for parties, presentations and showcases – framed by an aesthetic that is also sensitive to the variegated topography.
The interior design by the Israeli studio Baranowitz + Kronenberg has generated a luminous, spacious lobby that suggests the Mediterranean coastline, while the mountainous and austere terrain of the nearby Parc Natural de Sant Llorenç del Munt is reflected in the gradually darkening palette of the lounge, bar and Mr Porter restaurant, in the copper screen ceiling and the wood floors in local oak, accompanied by furnishings in dark walnut and Bocci lamps finished in brass, steel and Carrara marble.
The artistic and cultural exuberance of Catalonia is even more explicitly referenced in the installation of works by the renowned Antoni Muntadas and Alfons Borrell, and in the presence of a concept store set aside for the projects of young talents on the local scene, exhibited in rotation.
The interiors of the rooms and suites have been refurbished by the design team of Sir Hotels: simple layouts, neutral colors, accents of wood, works by the emerging artist Bernard Daviu, coordinated with rugs by Nanimarquina, modular furnishings by B&B Italia, Cassina and with the outdoor living signed by Kettal.
The dialogue between natural and artificial light contributes to underline the design intentions, emphasizing or softening forms and volumes. For those in search of a culinary experience in the sunshine, the rooftop bar of the hotel offers a menu of tapas and signature cocktails, amidst vivid textile motifs and an abundance of plants; the outdoor lounge and swimming pool welcome guests to spend relaxing summer evenings, sipping on vermouth to the sounds of DJ sets and live music. In the colder months, clients can linger in the warm spa or the library, featuring the complete works of Caterina Albert ì Paradìs, alias Victor Català.
