Guests can sleep right on the edge of a steep, narrow "cliff." (Computer rendering)
According to a report by the UK's Daily Mail on January 9, Polish designers have created a uniquely shaped "rock hotel" for the northeastern Spanish city of Barcelona. Guests can not only climb onto the giant rocks on the exterior of the hotel to overlook the cityscape but also sleep directly on the edge of a steep, narrow "cliff." The hope is that one day Barcelona will bring this design to life, allowing people to experience the thrill of wilderness camping within the city.
This 100-meter-high creative structure is called the "Barcelona Rock Hotel." Its main body consists of many 4-meter-high boulders embedded in specially reinforced concrete, with gaps between each boulder to allow for ventilation. It was designed by Poland’s UGO Architecture Company for the 2011 "Bohemian Backpackers’ Hostel" international design competition. The competition required each entrant to design a 100-meter-tall personalized hotel that includes leisure areas, shopping zones, a café, and must become a new landmark at its location.
According to Hugon Kowalski, general manager of UGO, the designers drew inspiration from the Montserrat mountain range on the outskirts of Barcelona. They wanted the rock hotel to look like it was part of these towering mountains.
In the future, in addition to 50 standard guest rooms, the hotel will feature advanced recreational facilities such as a swimming pool, gym, café, hot spring bath, shopping mall, and a rock climbing practice wall. Guests who are brave enough can even try sleeping on the narrow cliffs on the hotel’s exterior, falling asleep under the starry sky. Of course, these cliffs are equipped with safety ropes—guests just need to secure themselves, and they don’t have to worry about their safety.