Hotel Silken Puerta América Madrid

Madrid

Spain had one of the most radical and passionate transformations of all European countries in the last century. Suffocating under the dictatorship of Franco, the country was liberated in 1975 ushering in a golden age of culture and economic wealth that has continued into the 21^st century. The country became a model for other European nations, thanks to its “joie de vivre” and its legendary nightlife. Madrid, the capital, is a prime example of Spain’s dramatic past and its passionate desire to look to the future, which has become a symbol of the Spanish soul. This cosmopolitan city however, has managed to conserve a provincial side, as if being the political and royal capital had happened by accident. Hence the charm of a culturally rich city with museums like the Prado, the Thyssen, the Queen Sofia and especially as the birthplace of the emblematic La Movida, or “Movement”. The city, still deeply anchored in Iberian traditions has preserved the authenticity of a country open to the world and to change, yet determined not to lose its identity.

The temple of design

The Hotel Silken Puerta America is so unusual that it could have had its origins in Dubai. The concept in the form of an equation reads as follows: 19 designers + 13 nationalities + 12 floors = the greatest design hotel ever built. Each designer, all well known of course, created one floor of the hotel including the 30 rooms and suites. The great charm of the Puerta America resides is the different styles of rooms and decorations, which at the same time as being a break with homogeneity, retains a certain kind of unity. Created by the French architect, Jean Nouvel, who also created the 12^th floor, which impresses with its use of color and fragments of a poem by French poet Paul Eluard written in several languages. It’s a building which stands out as the only attraction in a neighborhood not known for its tourism. And yet, what an attraction! Zaha Hadid designed the reception area with great fluidity, curved lines and monochromatic purity. Everything here seems to spring from one and the same movement; futuristic perhaps. The 6^th floor is the work of Marc Newsom, who created a space which plays with the idea of a mirror, red lacquered wood and a dazzling play of light. Ron Arad was assigned the 7^th floor and imagined it with the sinusoidal and elliptical shapes for which he is famous. On the 10^th floor, Arata Isozaki added his personal touch by using separating screens from his traditional Japanese roots. Christian Liagre using leather, oak and stone to create a truly magical site, full of Madrilenian flamboyance, created the Lagrimas Negras - or Black Tears - restaurant.

Another exceptional site is the Marma Bar. The bar itself was made out one 8.5 meter long piece of Italian Carrare marble. The original piece weighed six tons and was installed in the hotel even before the first stone for the hotel was laid. Otherwise, it would have been impossible to get it inside the building.