When you visit Madrid, it will be all you would expect from a capital city with a Mediterranean spirit, its bustling energy hardly contained by the countless elegant boulevards and many scopious, well-maintained parks. Hotel Silken Puerta America Madrid very much reflects the character of Madrid, allowing you to step into a colorful vaudeville show of interior styles designed by 19 world-renowned architects and design studios. Pulling up in our taxi, the building’s exterior wasn’t quite as impressive while we walked up to it, looking somewhat like a cheap suburban rainbow apartment building. Once we set foot inside however, our senses where stroked by the polished, modern surroundings that welcomed us with the light wood paneled walls around the reception area and the contemporary 70’s inspired bar.
All of these 19 international artists were given complete creative freedom, creating unique spaces which encompass the best of avart-garde design. Each floor presents a completely different universe, with the rooms/suites and even the lounge and hallways looking like an art convention. The concept of the project was to create a one of a kind luxury hotel which reflects different perspectives on architecture, design and art from all over the globe.
Of course, being the visual design junkies we are, we just had to make a tour around the whole hotel and stop on each floor, checking out all of the different rooms. Setting foot on the 8th floor by Kathryn Findlay, is like stepping into a futuristic spaceship, while the 4th floor by Plasma Studio presents a metallic silver and gold world of geometric shapes and the 10th floor invites you to Japanese traditions by Arata Isozaki.
We were staying on the 1st floor, designed by British-Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid. In a completely stark white universe of winding shapes and lines, the lounge is donned by an abstract installation which lights up in interchanging neon colors. Even the soft whirring noise of the installation adds to the unusual atmosphere, making the experience complete. We highly recommend to stay in the Zaha Hadid Space Club junior suite, as the lounge area with winding sofa gives you a lot more space to relax. The fantastic design details will have you continuously looking around seeing new things, even the shapes of the shower and sink in the bathroom are amazing!
In order to make your stay even more pleasant, the hotel offers an indoor swimming pool and sauna on the 12th floor and a bar/restaurant on the 13th floor where you can enjoy a breathtaking panoramic view of the borough Chamartin. As Madrid is a mesmerizing city that you will want to keep coming back to, you can keep returning to this hotel and discover a completely new creative universe with each visit by choosing a different floor. Moreover, you will leave each time feeling comprehensively inspired!
