El Equipo Creativo - Palau Fugit Hotel - Girona - Spain

2024-01-25

A seductive boutique hotel in the capital of the Costa Brava.

El Equipo Creativo has completed the interior design of El Palau Fugit. Located deep in Girona’s atmospheric Barri Vell (Old Quarter), the award-winning studio converted a disused 18th-century palace into a destination hotel as charming and seductive as Girona itself. El Equipo Creativo used the ‘two Gironas’ as their creative starting point. The first is the Barri Vell; an emblematic district of weathered stone facades, hidden cul-de-sacs, porticoes, and stone ramparts. In contrast, the designers have highlighted the lighter side of the city - namely the vibrant colours that bathe the townhouses flanking the River Onyar, along with Girona’s most famous spring celebration - El Temps de Flors (The Time of Flowers). These influences, enhanced with striking modern art and crafted objects, create a hotel that begs to be discovered and enjoyed. "We aimed to create a sense of high luxury minus the pretensions. We respected the original architecture, of course, but with fresh, elegant, surprising and, at times, a little disruptive elements."

The building

Palau Fugit unfolds in two principal parts, both adapted to the needs of modern travellers and experience hunters by the Barcelona-based architecture studio Isern Associats. The first is the original palauet. Here, an arched courtyard, renamed ‘La Placeta’, holds the reception area, restaurant, and cocktail bar, as well as a tucked-away spa-for-one. Guests ascend to rooms via the original staircase of the palace. The second building, named the Pavelló, is an annexe that takes shape with a modern, rational approach. Both volumes are connected by a terrace, or the ‘heart’ of the hotel. Endowed with a small swimming pool, abundant ferns, and a poetic central sculpture (titled Font de Gararotes) by renowned local artist Frederic Amat, it provides a serene oasis for guests and a natural connection between the two edifices.

The rooms

For the rooms in El Palauet, El Equipo Creativo reimagined the sumptuous decor of the fin de siècle through a prism of contemporary design and art. The designers' goal was to instill a ‘feminine’ presence throughout, recreating the warm and eclectic ambiance of a noble family nest. Careful attention to detail and the selection of materials and textures create a rich visual experience. This is further enhanced by a curation of paintings, sculptures, murals, and photographs - all of which are original works by local artists. Although each room and suite presents a design story unto itself, gothic arches and porticoes, a dominant architectural motif of Girona’s Barri Vell, are a recurring influence and narrative. Curvaceous chaise longues, bespoke rattan bed heads, and avant-garde lighting enfold the guest. Surfaces and textiles, from velvet drapes to strategically placed mirrors, invite the user to linger and relax in this historic setting. Anchoring each room is a custom-made marble vanity unit, a monolithic interpretation of the tocador (dressing table) that exemplifies domestic life of the period. The rooms in El Palauet brim in a palette of natural stone shades and soft blues, greys, and blush tones, creating an elegant mise en scène that is very contemporary and lends new life to original features such as ceiling roses and carved balcony shutters. This mood changed in El Pavelló - an ode to ‘la dolce vita’ of the Mediterranean. A palette of terracotta, locally made ceramics, and wood give a mid-century chic feel to the rooms, each enhanced by natural light pouring in through direct patio access. Handmade terracotta breeze blocks and tiles create rippling shadows and textured surfaces, and rattan chairs and occasion tables evoke the local craft ateliers of the Costa Brava. With splashes of colour and handspun textiles, the overall feel is at once casually glamorous and effortlessly cool.

The public and social spaces

Casa Heras, the hotel’s restaurant, is inspired by the social and hospitality areas of the original palace and adapted to modern lifestyle and comfort. Like the rest of the hotel, modern art and objects elevate the spaces, as seen in the whimsical wall murals created by Joana Santamans, and bespoke ceramic pieces from the artisan Núria Gimbernat. Sparkling copper pots and pans placed on an antique dresser fill the dining room, while high-quality tables, chairs, and fittings denote a timeless modern feel. Adjacent to this, El Salon provides a space for a cocktails and intimate conversation, surrounded by vestiges of the palau’s ancient walls. La Biblioteca (library) is a distinguished space conceived for private banquets and meetings around a beautiful oval marble table. The designers intended La Placeta to be a little more disruptive, and the idea of re-introducing the palace to the social life of the city was essential to the project. Cradled by stone arches and an original staircase, La Placeta presents a place to meet and chatter around zesty-coloured armchairs and tables that are full of personality. Adjacent to La Placeta is the reception room, where guests check in at a bespoke Yves Klein blue reception table, overhung by a blossoming golden chandelier. This composition sets the tone for the rest of the hotel - a concept that balances history and modernity, formality and informality, and offers a unique and welcoming base while experiencing the rich history and culture of Girona.

About Girona

Gateway to the Costa Brava, and capital city of Catalunya’s famous Empordá region, Girona offers an enticing mixture of gastronomy, culture and natural beauty. Its well-preserved historic buildings date back over a millennium and include El Call, the remains of Spain’s most important Jewish community. Home to famed Michelin restaurant El Cellar de Can Roca, the city’s restaurants are renowned for their local wines and imaginative take on Catalan cuisine that fuses produce from both land and sea

Thanks to the network of Vias Verdes (bike and walking tracks) that zigzag all over the region, Girona is fast becoming a popular base for international hiking and cycling enthusiasts. More recently, the city’s ancient landmarks were used as locations for the TV series A Game of Thrones - a testament to Girona’s authentic medieval character and high standard of services for visitors.

About EL EQUIPO CREATIVO

Founded in 2011 by architects Oliver Franz Schmidt, Natali Canas del Pozo, and Lucas Echeveste Lacy, EL EQUIPO CREATIVO is a renowned Barcelona-based interior architecture and design studio specializing in the design of hospitality, gastronomy, and brand spaces. The firm's philosophy centres around the belief that spatial design should tell compelling stories and inspire people, always grounded in a solid conceptual approach.

EL EQUIPO CREATIVO's portfolio includes collaborations with some of the world's most prestigious chefs, including Michelin-star restaurants, solidifying their expertise in the industry. Their work has garnered global recognition and has been featured in hundreds of publications worldwide. The firm is the proud recipient of over 70 international design awards, including esteemed accolades like the Restaurant & Bar Design Awards, FRAME Awards, or BOY Awards, all known for honouring innovative and conceptual design.

Beyond project recognition, the studio has also been honoured for its trajectory and methodology. They have been awarded Best Interior Design Firm (Architizer A+Awards), Interiors Practice of the Year (WIN Awards), and Firm of the Year (The American Architecture Prize). Additionally, FRAME magazine recognized EL EQUIPO CREATIVO as one of the 20 most influential designers in the world.

Photo credit: Salva Lopez