Hotel Puerta América - 4th floor

Most contemporary hotels can be characterized as constantly repeating anonymous hotel units glued to sterile corridors. The goal is to accommodate as many guests as possible in the smallest area, while simultaneously providing them with the illusion of exclusivity and a unique approach to each individual. Hotel Puerta América has tried as much as possible to cater to the tastes of every potential guest. The twelve floors of rooms were designed by twelve different architects, making it easier to choose a room that suits your taste. However, the most unconventional aspect compared to a commonly understood hotel is the fourth floor, for which a competition was held that was won by London's Plasma Studio. The creation of this unique and unrepeatable form is described by its authors as follows: “In the design of the 4th floor, we started from the repeating rhythm of partitions, service shafts, and entrance doors to the rooms, which served as a solid frame from which the irregular shape of the corridor was derived. In other words, the vertical dividing partitions were pulled along their axes, while the entrance openings created resistance. The striking geometry was enhanced by LED-lit seams between the individual triangular panels. Thus, each part of the corridor gained an unrepeatable character. The color of the lighting flows into the adjacent hotel rooms, so each guest can intuitively sense the location of their room within the corridor.”

It takes a bit of getting used to for one to feel at least somewhat comfortable in a steel cave full of stainless steel, glass, and sharp corners. Plasma Studio has never taken the easy path. Their designs push the limits, provoking with their difficult graspability, but above all, they pave the way into the future.