The Dubai of the Mediterranean? (Barcelona, 16th June 2011)

W Hotel, BCN

As this was my last weekend in Barcelona itself I was trying to visit as much as I possibly could. I don't know if this was due to some adrenaline rush, but on that Sunday I must have walked around half of the city non-stop! (It was only once I was back at Montserrat that I finally realised I had a few rather large blisters on my feet)

Sunday morning was all about the W Hotel, a controversial yet iconic building right at the front of Barcelona's shoreline. A 5* boutique hotel, with very modern design and futuristic lobby as you can see below. The hotel is otherwise known as the Hotel Vela (“Sail hotel”) due to its shape and position right on the waterfront, making it look from far away like a very big sailing boat with fully open spinnaker sail.

Doesn't this look a bit out of place in Barcelona? Some people would argue that this seems more like a Dubai-based project, but I disagree. Clearly the strong, constant influx of large hordes of tourists and business men and women was in desperate need of another hotel for them to stay in; a hotel which would bring out one of the best views of Barcelona: its beach front. I think the building was well planned and positioned: the Barcelona coast already boasts a number of iconic structures and buildings (see post on Forum): now the BCN coastline is not only dominated by the two Mapfre towers and Olympic Village (see below) or the recently constructed Forum (see post on Forum).

Lobby of W Hotel, BCN

Because of the hotel's enviable location and 5* rating, demand for a room has been very high. This is another good reason for the approval of the project: an architect should always aim to design a building which, in first place, should not be an eyesore: in this case, the W Hotel is certainly an attractive building. Second, the building process should involve many workers, thus creating more job opportunities. Alongside this, the completed building should provide a basis for many more productive jobs (such as a hospital, hotel or airport) and for a good chance to make a profit.

Even is someone is not in agreement with the project, we should all be thankful that the area was not yet another plot of land taken over for apartments or houses: the construction boom might have ended some time ago for the housing sector, but construction can be even more profitable without building homes. This is especially the case in Spain, where there is a huge number of empty (and in many cases still in construction) apartment blocks. So to escape a greater crisis, maybe some construction companies should turn to other projects other than housing development.

Private pool and beach views