The Mediterranean spirit of Atzavara Hotel & Spa

Located in Santa Susanna on the Barcelona coast, Atzavara Hotel & Spa combines imposing architectural volumes with the lightness of the Mediterranean landscape. The rigorous yet poetic design is by Isern & Associats, led by architect Daniel Isern. Part of Aqua Hotel Grup, the five-star hotel covers 45,000 square metres and has a monumental façade more than 200 metres long, yet is conceived as an unfolding sequence of spaces rather than a single imposing volume.

“Along this coastal journey we encounter the sea and sand, a Posidonia seagrass meadow beneath the water, the flavours of a market, pine groves and dunes. Each environment captures something of the place and its changing character over time,” says Daniel Isern. The guest experience begins in a lobby conceived as a cathedral of light. A glazed roof allows natural light to filter down through all five storeys, while sculptural figures handcrafted from thin strips of timber hang from the ceiling like swimmers suspended between sky and sea. The same fluid design language continues throughout the hotel. Its 465 rooms range from Premium accommodation to 22 Pool Penthouse Suites with private pools and the striking Executive and Pool Villas.

There are also 20 modular meeting rooms, including the 570-square-metre Atzavara Room, as well as seven swimming pools, a spa, several boutiques and a range of dining venues including the Bamboo Pool Club & Restaurant.

“The project draws on the language of modern summer resort architecture that is so characteristic of the Mediterranean, a world in itself shaped by freely flowing light and air and a constant succession of views,” says Isern. Carefully selected ceramic surfaces play a key role in defining the tactile character of the project.

Privacy and solar shading are provided by ceramic latticework formed from terracotta elements inspired by the traditional brise-soleil screens of Mediterranean homes, while still allowing natural ventilation.

Visual continuity between indoor and outdoor routes is provided by Fioranese’s i Cocci porcelain stoneware collection, used in 90×90 cm and 60×60 cm sizes. A 2 cm-thick version is also used in vehicle-access areas and spaces subject to heavy foot traffic.