Marqués de Riscal Hotel

Description

The Marqués de Riscal group innovatively combines quality wine production with exciting tourism experiences. Designed by Frank Gehry and located next to the winery, the hotel embodies the group’s commitment to excellence and forward thinking. After the impressive success of the Guggenheim Museum, the Californian architect was offered the commission. He readily accepted the offer after visiting the wineries and being enchanted by both the charm of the place and the wine it produced. The hotel comprises 43 rooms, two restaurants and a spa that offers a range of wine therapy treatments. True to its architectural syntax, the building harmonises two types of form: pyramidal parallelepipeds stacked on top of each other and anchored by sturdy concrete columns, and curvilinear titanium surfaces that extend into the surroundings. The structures are clad in local sandstone that blends in with the cityscape, while the titanium elements are finished in the group’s signature shades. Known affectionately in the village as the ‘Cathedral of Wine’, the building effectively conveys the architect’s aim to encapsulate the hedonistic spirit inherent in wine culture, while also standing as a testament to its deep connection with the place.