Dezeen Magazine

Jean Nouvel's Barcelona Hotel has leafy windows and a plant-filled atrium

This 27-storey Barcelona hotel by Ateliers Jean Nouvel is punctured by windows shaped like palm fronds and contains a huge atrium filled with palm trees and tropical vegetation (photos by Roland Halbe).

Fira Renaissance Hotel in Barcelona by Jean Nouvel
Photograph by Roland Halbe

The firm led by French architect Jean Nouvel teamed up with local studio Ribas & Ribas to design the Renaissance Barcelona Fira Hotel for the Marriott hotel chain, and it is located in a part of the city that hosts a number of major trade fairs.

Fira Renaissance Hotel in Barcelona by Jean Nouvel
Photograph by Roland Halbe

The building comprises a pair of 110-metre towers that are joined at the top by a rooftop restaurant, terrace and swimming pool. The space between is enclosed by glazing, creating greenhouse-style atrium where staircases are interspersed with greenery from five different continents.

Fira Renaissance Hotel in Barcelona by Jean Nouvel
Photograph by Roland Halbe

The leaf-shaped windows are positioned in front of some of the hotel's 357 rooms, most of which feature simple interiors with white walls, bedding and furniture, plus bathrooms lined with lime plaster.

Fira Renaissance Hotel in Barcelona by Jean Nouvel
Photograph by Roland Halbe

In addition to the rooftop restaurant, a Mediterranean restaurant is located on the fourteenth floor amidst the trees, while the ground-floor lobby offers a cocktail bar.

Fira Renaissance Hotel in Barcelona by Jean Nouvel
Photograph by Roland Halbe

One floor of the building is given over to flexible meeting rooms, offering space for up to 1000 people. Other facilities include a heated whirlpool and solarium and a fitness centre.