Client: Marta Granés + Stéphane Rouze
Architecture: Isern Associats
Interior design: El Equipo Creativo
Furnishings: Viccarbe, Sancal, Hoffmann, Hay, Ondarreta, Palmira, Verges, Sika Design, Casamania, Gervasoni, Honore, Ferm, Enoki, Gubi, Ethnicraft, Frag, Missana, & Tradition, SP01. Distributor: Idees
Lighting: Gervasoni, And Light, Estiluz, Roll & Chill, Modular, Vibia, Santa & Cole, Venicem. Distributor: Ca2l
Fabrics: Cotlin, La Madrid, Moooi, Nani marquina, Ege
Artworks: Frederic Amat, Joana Santamans, Andrea Torres
Photo credits: Salva Lopez
Set amidst the Gothic arches and alleys of Girona in Catalan, Palau Fugit is in the midst of Barri Vell’s historic center. An 18th-century building that had fallen into disuse, now it has become a new destination for travelers and the local community alike, infused with new life. Isern Associats Studio transformed its architecture into a beguiling boutique hotel and El Equipo Creativo oversaw the interior design.
The hotel is equipped to tell the stories of the past and present with a restoration project emphasizing Girona’s lightness. Though its 18th-century architecture is still dominant, El Equipo Creativo‘s designers took inspiration from elements like the colors of the townhouses along the Onyar River and the city’s famed spring celebration El Temps de Flors (The Time of Flowers) to give a noble family nest, a warm, eclectic atmosphere. Modern works of art and handcrafted objects heighten the effect of these influences.
The studio’s founders, Oliver Franz Schmidt, Natali Canas del Pozo, and Lucas Echeveste Lacy, say: “Our goal was to create a sense of high-level but unpretentious luxury. We wanted, of course, to respect the original architecture but also achieve fresh, elegant, and unexpected atmospheres, with some surprising twists”.
The building is laid out in two sections, welcoming guests to La Placeta, a cozy, secluded inner courtyard that includes a reception area, with a custom-made Yves Klein blue casual reception desk with a floral-themed golden chandelier over it; a restaurant; a cocktail bar, surrounded by the vestiges of the building’s old walls; and a small spa for personal use. La Placeta immediately conveys the hotel’s spirit, a place to meet and have a chat sitting on the brightly colored armchairs. It is a balance of history and modernity, formality and casualness in a unique, inviting atmosphere as a home base to experience Girona’s abundant history and culture. This is also the starting point of the original staircase leading to the guest rooms, reinvented with sumptuous fin de siècle decor.
Curving chaise longues, custom-made rattan headboards, and modern lighting. Strategically placed surfaces and fabrics – velvet curtains to mirrors – are all invitations to relax. A made-to-measure marble sink cabinet is in every room, a monolithic version of the tocador (vanity) of yore.
The color palette of natural stone colors and soft blues, grays, and powders create an elegantly contemporary setting breathing new life into to original elements like the ceiling rose windows and the carved shutters on the balconies. The hotel is completed by a terrace connecting its two parts with a small pool, abundant ferns, and a poetic sculpture in the center (Font de Gararotes) by renowned local artist Frederic Amat.
