H Arts

Although not completed until 1994, the Hotel Arts was one of the key elements in the urban planning scheme for the Olympic Village, which was designed to house the athletes during the games. The hotel stands next to the Mapfre Tower, which is similar in shape, and together they form a symbolic gateway to the city from the Olympic Marina. The 44-storey towers are 154 m high and are two of the tallest buildings in Barcelona. The hotel was designed by Bruce Graham, a senior design partner at the legendary architectural practice, Skidmore Owings & Merrill. Its most characteristic feature is the white outer steel structure with its diagonal steel braces. An elevation of the building shows the grid divided into a central section with girders placed perpendicularly above each load bearing wall, and two side sections with struts that span a height of four storeys each. A floor plan shows the structure set inside a square with chamfered corners: a subtle nod to the Cerdà Plan. The façade, which appears to be separate from the inner structure is perceived as a continuous plane with windows with green glass panes that alternate with aluminium walls. Access to the hotel is via a covered driveway with a monumental fountain, with waterfalls and plants on one side. A terrace with sea views and Frank Gehry's Fish sculpture occupies a lower section attached to the main building. The hotel has 483 guest rooms and 28 duplex apartments, as well as restaurants, conference rooms, a theatre, swimming pool and spa.