SLS Barcelona Hotel | b720 Fermín Vázquez Arquitectos

This urban hotel is located on the northern coast of Barcelona, in the municipality of Sant Adrià de Besòs, within the Fòrum district. It occupies a seafront site between Port Fòrum and Ronda de Dalt. Its design draws on the traditional layout of a resort hotel, with all guest rooms facing the sea and the corridors positioned along the rear of the building. The competition-winning proposal, which formed the basis of the project, turned away from the northern orientation—more heavily affected by the acoustic and visual impact of Barcelona’s Ronda Litoral—and instead faced south, offering views of the sea across the adjacent marina.

The urban analysis and definition of the design principles considered parameters such as orientation, solar exposure, visibility, sound filtration, accessibility, connections with the city, and privacy. The resulting serpentine layout not only accommodates a larger number of rooms—approximately 500—but also creates a sequence of courtyards for communal activities and reduces the perceived scale of the complex. Three outdoor courtyards divide the development into distinct sections and offer guests different types of urban “oases.” These spaces provide greater privacy and a more human scale, while allowing public uses to be separated according to the specific character of each area.

The hotel’s functional programme is divided into three distinct areas. The communal spaces are distributed across the podium, on basement level PS1 and the ground floor P00, and include the lobby, meeting rooms and auditorium, restaurants, swimming pool, spa, and gym. Service areas are located on levels PS1 and PS2 below ground and include all back-of-house facilities, such as administrative offices, kitchens, laundry facilities, storage rooms, workshops, and staff changing rooms. Finally, the guest rooms occupy the four upper floors, with a limited number also located on the ground floor. Most follow a standard room typology, while a variety of suites are positioned in the most privileged areas of each level.

On the exterior, a series of glazed ceramic elements with undulating profiles specifically designed for the project connects the building with its maritime surroundings, while establishing an achromatic relationship with the neighbouring university campus buildings. Open towards the sea and withdrawn from its immediate surroundings, the design and scale of the elements forming the façade create a sense of fragmentation across the building envelope.

This large-scale and highly complex project incorporates a wide range of sustainable design principles. These include the use of recycled and recyclable materials, the recovery and reuse of energy generated by neighbouring industrial facilities, vegetation across courtyards and terraces, photovoltaic panels, efficient building systems, and passive architectural strategies such as solar orientation and a highly insulated building envelope.

Beyond its scale and distinctive character, which reinforce its presence within the landscape, the hotel is intended to act as a catalyst for the urban and economic regeneration of the Sant Adrià de Besòs area.

b720 Team: Fermín Vázquez, Peco Mulet, Magdalena Ostornol, Luis Bellera, André Coelho, John Ríos, Cristina Sánchez, Katrin Baumgarten, Cristina Gassó, Robert Rubio, Florencia Fornaro, Ailin Venter, Ona Harster, Guillermo Weiskal, Mayra Sanmartin, Judith Frances, Isabel López, Patricia Salido, Luis Rodríguez, Carlos Maristany, Eduardo Palao
Interiorism: Rockwell Group (hotel), Avroko (restaurants), b720 Fermín Vázquez Arquitectos (terraces and roofs)
Collaborators: JG Ingenieros (MEP systems), Tècnics G3 (MD/PR), Martí Avilés (MD/PR), Mirla Studio (landscape design), Coderch (acoustics), Bis Structures (structural engineering), Intra (mobility), Artec (lighting), Detcopro (security), Aucatel (technical control), JPM Projects (kitchens), AMG Laundry (laundry facilities), Resuelve Management (elevators), Thomas Wellness (pools and spa)
Photographer: Rafael Vargas