W Hotel, Ibiza

The "flower-power" mind-set regulated our design strategy and found its way onto the new rhythm of the facades through a playful presence of colorful ‘sails' that shade each and every guest room. Hence, the design of the façades is subject to the guests' desires.

The sense of arrival to W Ibiza was conceived as a passage through a magnetizing force that pulls us in and leads us towards the sea and the horizon; a welcoming gesture that sets the right vibes for an escape of body and soul. Inspired by the Venturi effect where fluids accelerate their flow while moving from a large collecting space into a narrower collecting space, the spatial arrangement of the public spaces resonate with Venturi's observation. A sea of masts collects guests and locals through a narrowing esplanade, pulling them towards an interior oasis of shade, water and blue sea.

While keeping the masses of the existing building intact, we proposed a new balance between interior and exterior, one that entices the town and its guests to enter and make the public spaces part of their daily life.

The welcome esplanade with its sea of masts under a rope pergola resonates with the essence of place. Shadow and sunshine, light and shade inspire people to express themselves and strike a pause as players on stage of an urban-driven oasis.

We altered the existing section of the ground and lower floor in pursuit of uninterrupted views and starting welcome esplanade drop-off, through the interior spaces and out towards the sea. This alluring and natural flow of energies prevails all over. It serves as an unequivocal desire to bring people together and engage with nature.

The ascending section of the public spaces celebrates the island’s architecture and connection with nature. Concrete platforms inspired by the steps of Dalt Vila – the iconic fortified acropolis of Ibiza old town – are covered with matrasses and pillows and transform a functional movement into a space to live in.

Light and shade, color and simple geometries are the bare necessities for a memorable experience.

The engaging design of the 162 guest rooms and suites strike a balance between natural and locally manufactured materials. Laid back, colorful, simple, engaging and sun soaked per desire, these guests' rooms make for an indigenous refuge to recharge and get back to the energizing spaces of the hotel.

Tanit, the goddess of the island, is in the details… the wall mandalas are about fertility and love, the headboards are an homage to the psychedelic moments that the island unfolds and the iridescent shower panes render reality as surreal as possible.

'Chiringuito Blue' is W's refuge on the beach. A true sandy living space for being alone together, working, snoozing, dining and plunging in the blue water under the Balearic sun.