Project: ME Sitges Terramar Hotel
Architecture: Lagranja Design
Location: Sitges, Spain
Area: 18200 m2
Year: 2018
Photo Credits: Joan Guillamat
Text by Lagranja Design
Artisan materials have inspired the interior and creative processes, in order to create one-off pieces of contemporary style that still maintain a traditional quality.
It is said that it was in Sitges that the Spanish term ‘chiringuito’ (open-air beach bar) first appeared, a concept imported by returning émigrés from Cuba during an epoch in which artists and the avant-garde where inspired by the town’s light and charm.
The first Hotel Terramar (now the ME Sitges Terramar) opened its doors in the 1930s, when tourism here was dominated by the chattering classes. Back then, the establishment had extensive gardens and formal salons, of which very few architectural details remain.
One of the challenges for the studio was to return the lost spirit of grandeur to the hotel, and at the same time respect the identity and signature touches of the ME by Melia brand, along with creating a contemporary new leisure experience by the Mediterranean.
SINGULAR DESIGN PIECES BORN OF CRAFTMANSHIP.
This objective has been fulfilled by using local craftsmanship throughout the interior spaces. Materials and techniques in the Mediterranean tradition are present in the original furniture and lighting that the studio has designed and had made specifically for the hotel. Unique pieces, made exclusively for each project, is a unique feature of Lagranja Design.
Prototypes are crafted in the studio’s own atelier, and then local providers are sourced for production. Basket ware, ceramic, macramé and terracotta are present in many of the decorative elements in the interior design of the new ME Sitges Terramar. These materials are connected to the traditional identity of the location, but have been tailored to the modern values of the hotel group.
MATERIALS FROM THE MEDITERRANEAN
A large number of pieces have been created, such as pillar covered in plaster or wicker elements, large rattan lamps, decorative plaster details, and room dividers made of traditional ceramic pieces that have been moulded to unusual organic forms. In the same vein, a large ceramic trellis was designed that converts many of the walls to lighting elements that, along with demarking spaces, illuminate and create lighting effects.
These singular pieces are combined with sofas and Basic XL armchairs; designed for the hotel, and now forming part of the Basic de Lagranja Collection. The lighting, created in warm tones, seeks to highlight the warmth and imperfection of the artisan processes used throughout.
The rooms have been unified with furniture specifically made for the project, which include a bar, wardrobe and bathroom that share the same visual language but have been adapted to the size and layout variations in each room.
