Lifestyle 16 coverB ING .indd - Porcelanosa Albania

HOTEL BARCELÓ ASIA GARDENS & THAI SPA
A bit of the East in the Mediterranean
Asian reminiscences are present in the lavish
vegetation and millenary bonsai trees
of this architecture and landscaping project
Located in an extraordinary spot among the
surrounding mountains of Sierra Cortina in the
Mediterranean coast, this hotel stands over a
huge pine wood. Asian reminiscences are present
in the architecture and in the landscaping project.
The lavish vegetation has been chosen so that the
guests have the feeling of being in the tropics.
And the team of architects and landscapers have
successfully achieved their objective, creating an
idyllic Asian atmosphere. A total of 312 rooms
surrounded by sumptuous gardens with more than
300 different botanic species, with water as a
central element.
From the first moment, the team of professionals
– architects Rodolfo Nonini and Cristian Larrain, and
agricultural engineer and landscaper Miguel Ángel Vico – were intent in leaving clear, non-built up ABOVE Team of architects
spaces. “This way, the swimming pools, gardens, fountains, springs, pergolas and paths are perfectly (from left to right):
integrated and in tune with the architecture”, they claim. The building draws its inspiration from Asian Rodolfo Nonini,
Cristian Larrain and
design. The same can be said about the type of gardening and, of course, the presence of water,
Miguel Angel Vico.
a pervading element in the East. The studio approached the landscape design including tropical
botanic species, with a range of exotic plants and millenary bonsai trees. The delicate balance
between water and plants is visible in the swimming pools, of which there are seven, totalling an
area of 3,500 m2. The goal was to achieve pleasant but also functional spaces. And the result
is the creation of different atmospheres that make guests feel that they are walking through a
unique place that has been conceived for the well-being of body and mind. The main materials
used for this project are aged marble in a cream tone and wood in the most luxurious communal
areas. For exteriors, marble has been combined with
slate and black granite, and wood has also
been used. The swimming pools
are made in ceramic tiles in
different formats, colours
and finishes.
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ABOVE Hydra, from Systempool, a mini-swimming pool that operates at 38ºC,
with a water-jet and bubbles, expressly developed for public use.
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