Pennod 7 04 Wal

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-In this series of 04Wal, Leah Hughes

-and I will visit more unique hotels.

-We'll see a Cardiff hotel which is

-handy for train passengers...

-..and a hotel in Venice.

-First, we enjoy a gem designed by

-world-famous architect, Frank Gehry.

-We've travelled two hours south

-of Bilbao, in Spain...

-..to a village called Elciego.

-Here you'll find

-the Marques de Riscal vineyard...

-..and, in the middle of that

-vineyard is this shiny Buddha.

-Who created this whacky masterpiece?

-None other than American architect,

-Frank Gehry...

-..who designed Bilbao's Guggenheim.

-It's located here to let guests

-experience being in a vineyard.

-This building may look like

-it was demolished...

-..and rebuilt by a monkey...

-..but it's a fun design, isn't it?

-Being in this building is fun.

-Standing near this amazing building

-frees the mind.

-You no longer have to

-see buildings as boxes.

-Buildings can look like this!

-The red and gold

-represent Marques de Riscal wines.

-The silver represents the foil

-around the bottle tops.

-The formations

-in front of the building...

-..represent wine

-flowing from a bottle.

-That and the sandstone

-ties the building to this area.

-Local people

-still don't know what to make of it.

-It's known here as

-"The thing on the hill"!

-When you reach the front door, you

-realise what a solid building it is.

-On the hill,

-when you first glimpse it...

-..it looks like a piece of foil

-blowing in the wind.

-It definitely doesn't flap!

-Girders were bent

-to reinforce the outer shell.

-It's hugely artistic

-and it would be a shame to hide it.

-When you study the building, you see

-the structure has a dual purpose.

-Yes, it supports the building.

-It also has an aesthetic role...

-..as reflected in the window frames

-and in the reception area.

-What are your first impressions?

-What are your first impressions?

-

-Gehry's stamp can be seen here.

-He's very confident and playful

-with the materials he uses.

-I was already familiar

-with his cardboard chairs.

-He used titanium and steel here.

-We're familiar with him as

-the architect of public buildings.

-This is his first hotel.

-This is his first hotel.

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-Yes, that's true.

-Apparently, he was apprehensive

-about this project.

-He received a bottle of wine

-from the year of his birth, 1929.

-Did that help persuade him?

-The pieces of furniture within

-this hotel are all design classics.

-Yes, Gehry appreciates

-his contemporaries' designs.

-The table and chairs

-come from the 1950s and the 1960s.

-Gehry approved the interior design.

-The Frank Gehry Suite

-is the largest bedroom in the hotel.

-It is, of course,

-dedicated to Frank Gehry.

-Gehry adores wood,

-as you can see from this island.

-This encases the services.

-The bath and the toilet

-are within this island.

-It's a veneered wonder.

-Opposite the bathroom door, you see

-why this hotel was built here.

-Yes, that's the vineyard.

-I'd almost say this hotel has

-no corners and no straight lines.

-There are some, of course,

-but everything seems to be curved.

-Walk down the passage and the room

-opens out into the sleeping area.

-The front of this wonderful island

-forms the headboard for the bed.

-It's covered in brown leather.

-The sofa and chair

-are covered in the same leather.

-The crowning glory of this room

-is the stunning view.

-You can admire both the structure of

-the hotel and the church from here.

-Originally, the hotel was to be

-taller than the church.

-Rather than undermine the church's

-architectural importance...

-..Frank Gehry

-lowered the level of the hotel.

-I'm not sure he succeeded.

-Elciego will be remembered more

-for its hotel...

-..than for its striking church.

-At first glance, the design of the

-restaurant seems very conventional.

-Yes, you're not as awestruck

-in here...

-..as you are when you see

-the external structure.

-The interest comes from

-the structure, as no room is square.

-The angular features of this room

-creates the magic in here...

-..rather than the way

-the room is dressed.

-I can't remember

-being in another building...

-..where I can see some of the

-external shell through the window.

-The structure dominates everything

-but the materials bring continuity.

-The shades echo the flowing metal

-on the exterior of the building.

-The ceiling height in this room

-is awe-inspiring.

-It almost feels

-as if we're in a castle.

-The concept is that Frank Gehry

-has created a 21st-century chateau.

-This deep, baronial red

-certainly adds to that feeling.

-In the bar, as in the lobby...

-..the stonework and the chunky

-window frames gives it a solid feel.

-The rhythm and the flow of

-the exterior is echoed in here.

-The bench curves around the wall,

-the bar is also curved...

-..and the chairs are scooped.

-A room like this

-has large, white walls to fill.

-I've seen similar things

-in wine bars around the world...

-..but never

-all the way to the ceiling!

-It's simple but it's effective.

-Where does this design succeed?

-In Gehry converting his

-flowing, two-dimensional sketches...

-..to a three-dimensional building.

-Should a building like this

-please us?

-Gehry battles with the concept

-that humans always strive to please.

-He doesn't aim to please here.

-Gehry has the confidence to create.

-It's a defiant statement.

-It does exactly what it says on

-the tin or, in this case, titanium!

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-Sleeperz is one of

-Cardiff's newest hotels.

-It's built on an awkward site,

-next to the railway station...

-..but that was part of the brief.

-They filled unused land

-as close to the station as possible.

-This is an affordable hotel.

-They didn't skimp on materials, as

-you see from its tiles and windows.

-The jutting floor above me creates

-additional space on higher floors.

-It's an extraordinary design...

-..where most people

-would have settled for the ordinary.

-What's the concept behind Sleeperz?

-The idea is the hotel is built

-as close to the station as possible.

-The Sleeperz chain

-works with local councils...

-..to form a great design.

-The exterior of Sleeperz Hotel is

-in harmony with the train station.

-The same Portland limestone

-was used...

-..so the tonal flow is very smooth.

-The dynamic interior design

-is very different.

-Its vibrancy reminds you

-of its city location.

-The hotel lobby

-is divided into different areas...

-..through the flooring

-and the colours used here.

-It works really well.

-Yes, it's one open space but

-the flooring and the furniture...

-..divides the room into zones.

-They use symbols rather than signs,

-created by blocks of colour.

-The red slab tells you

-this is the reception area.

-There are red tabs

-on the curtains too.

-These colour accents

-replace signs very effectively.

-There's a wonderful simplicity

-to the design.

-The interior

-was created by Jamie Buchanan.

-He worked with Creactive Design,

-which specialises in product design.

-This is a very detailed design.

-The Z in Sleeperz is echoed

-throughout the building.

-Even the sofa arms carry

-the angular, Z-shape of the logo.

-This is an intricate design.

-I'm extremely fond of this hotel.

-Even boring bits,

-like the corridors in every hotel...

-..are filled with interest.

-This carpet, the way the light

-is set to one side...

-..and the oversized room numbers.

-Through here, this red column

-is wrapped around the lift shaft.

-There's plenty here

-to spark the imagination.

-This is a standard double, which is

-the larger of the Sleeperz rooms.

-Yes, and it's by no means

-a large room.

-Sleeperz is aimed at

-the compact lifestyle market.

-That's just what you get

-in this very practical room.

-The hanging space

-becomes a decorative feature.

-It's very open and you use it

-in a very playful way.

-You store your bag here.

-Humour has been injected

-into this design.

-The graphics are reflected in the

-mirror and you see it from the bed.

-We're next to the station

-but we can't hear the trains.

-The glass has been designed

-to minimise external sounds.

-The panels of glass

-seem small from the outside...

-..but, as you see,

-they go from floor to ceiling.

-Natural light floods in here.

-This is the dining room.

-It's a plain, simple, clean design.

-This corner of the building

-is a wall of glass...

-..making it perfect

-for a dining area.

-You can eat your breakfast here

-and watch the world go by.

-It's an urban experience.

-There's little colour here,

-other than that yellow stripe.

-There are spots and stripes

-on the cups...

-..and the red undersides of

-the tables create pink reflections.

-The red is also reflected

-in the table bases.

-As you view the city scene...

-..you get that urban experience

-before you head out of the door.

-I've been in countless hotels where

-some aspects have disappointed me...

-..but, hand on heart,

-this is almost perfect.

-They've resurrected the concept...

-..of hotels next to

-mainline railway terminals.

-It's dynamic and vibrant.

-Yes, and it's cemented

-in the 21st century.

-This is Palazzo Barbarigo hotel

-on Grand Canal, Venice.

-This building has been part

-of the waterscape since 1569...

-..the Tudor period in Britain.

-This building was erected

-for the Barbarigo family.

-A family of some standing.

-Mr Barbarigo had been elected

-Doge of Venice.

-That means he was

-part of that higher echelon...

-..which doesn't so much pay taxes

-as collect them.

-You could almost say

-the Barbarigos were royalty...

-..as confirmed by this location.

-The design is quite dark.

-It's a combination of the classical

-and this mock Deco.

-What fires the design

-is this striking use of light...

-..and the way it bounces off

-the reflective surfaces.

-The ceiling, the floor

-and the wonderful desk.

-Light picks out books on the shelves

-to create a patchwork of colour.

-There's a real warmth here.

-Italy is very hot

-on a summer's day, like today.

-This use of colour

-offers us an escape from the heat.

-And yet,

-it must offer a warm welcome.

-How do you view this design, Leah?

-How do you view this design, Leah?

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-It's different from the exterior.

-There's nothing Venetian

-about this design.

-Everything in this lobby

-is brand new.

-The designer, Alvin Grassi, has

-designed a boudoir, if you like...

-..in a Neoclassical, Art Deco style.

-Is it more feminine than masculine?

-Is it more feminine than masculine?

-

-It's a very hard design.

-You see marble floors and mirrors

-which reflect the natural light.

-It's hard but the shape of

-the details is curved and feminine.

-There's even something sexy and

-seductive about the reception desk.

-The design is certainly alluring.

-This is one of a few rooms

-in the hotel which faces two canals.

-Grand Canal, along the front,

-and Rio di San Polo, down the side.

-I'd expect the bed to be

-against this wall...

-..to capitalise on the view.

-There is no central window,

-unfortunately.

-This opens up possibilities to

-change the structure of the room.

-The bed is set at an angle and the

-wardrobes are concealed behind it.

-This wall is covered in fabric,

-by the way.

-Every wall in this room is soft.

-There are pools of red

-around the room.

-They're perfectly lit.

-The feathered shades

-are sumptuous.

-Very saucy and very feminine.

-The velvet-covered wallet

-sparkles in this light.

-The roses

-and even the no-smoking sign...

-..add to these pools of red

-in the room.

-The bed itself looks like

-an upturned table.

-The table legs and the poles

-are the same shape.

-Someone thought long and hard

-about the design of this hotel.

-We're in the bar,

-on the first floor.

-It's similar to the lobby.

-Yes, the style created

-within this space...

-..is similar to the one we saw

-in the lobby.

-The mirrored ceiling

-and the same Art Deco panels.

-Then, we see a Venetian element.

-The twist on the Damask pattern...

-..is echoed in the mirror

-and the fireplace.

-The furniture was commissioned

-especially for this space.

-The style of furniture is repeated

-here, making it a pure design.

-There's nothing playful about it.

-This is a sleek, strong design.

-The dining area

-and the bar are one, in essence...

-..divided by these glass cabinets.

-The advantage of shelves

-is you can place items on them.

-The colours

-in these Venetian glass pieces...

-..shimmer in the natural light

-which floods into this room.

-The large window behind me

-lets in plenty of light.

-If you came here expecting to find a

-bit of Venice inside the building...

-..you're in for a shock.

-Yes, this hotel could be anywhere...

-..but once you're out here,

-you can look at the Grand Canal.

-You see the most splendid,

-decorative architecture...

-..which is in stark contrast to the

-sleek design of the hotel interior.

-This is very stylish

-and it's breathtaking.

-S4C subtitles by Eirlys A Jones

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