Hotel Puerta America

Think of it as the ultimate class project. Nineteen of the world’s preeminent architects and designers come together to design a hotel on the outskirts of Madrid. Each is given free rein over a floor or public space, and everything from the bar to the flatware to the colorfully lit parking lot boasts the stamp of a design giant.

This hugely ambitious project, in which 19 of the most prestigious names in architecture and design collaborated on a Jean Nouvel building, finally opened in 2005. The resulting 362 rooms are so cutting-edge they should carry health warnings. Among others, David Chipperfield, Norman Foster, Zaha Hadid, John Pawson, Marc Newson, and Ron Arad have designed rooms—some all-white and minimal (duh); some all-scarlet and curvaceous; some (Hadid’s) all-white or all-black and sculpted from LG Hi-Macs (a kind of malleable Corian); others (Arad’s) with a ten-foot circular sofa; yet more (Chipperfield’s) with black terra-cotta beds canopied in lacquered blue material. Oddly, the owners, the Silken Group, whose hotels have been multiplying like triffids, claim to be all about service and comfort, with a side of design. While service is up to scratch, comfort is often sacrificed; some of the beds and showers are too small and chairs look good, but don’t feel it. Go here if you’re looking for the visual-sensual experience of inhabiting premier architectural space—and be aware that the world’s most ambitious hotel is located between the airport and the city, so none too central. continue