Combining leisure and cultural leisure is not an easy matter, but we have one piece of advice: when choosing a hotel, pay attention to one of the establishments from our list, you definitely will not lose!
Casa Vicens, Antoni Gaudí
This building is one of the first works of Antoni Gaudí in general and the first in the Catalan port city of Barcelona. Recently opened after restoration work, it now operates as a museum.
Last summer, the owners staged an attraction of unheard of generosity, allowing anyone to spend the night under this amazing roof, renting it through the Airbnb portal. A unique offer included a dinner from the owner of a Michelin star, the chef of the French restaurant of modern cuisine May Hoffman. The menu was created specifically and inspired by the architectural masterpieces of Maître Gaudí. In addition, a guided tour from the lady of the house, Emilia, and a Mediterranean-style breakfast on the patio were offered.
During this and similar attractions of unheard of generosity, the building is closed to visitors.
Rogner Bad Blumau
The Austrian Friedensreich Hundertwasser said that since straight lines are almost not found in nature, then they are superfluous for him. And now for many years he has been working in the spirit of his motto.
One of the characteristic manifestations is the thermal spa near Graz. Its curved windows, protruding floors, glass ceilings and winding, ornate corridors resembling paths in the forest seem to be unsuitable for human habitation.
Contrary to the impression, every year hundreds and thousands of connoisseurs of thermal waters and modern architecture gather in this place. Under the roof of the building, meditation halls are interspersed with vegetarian restaurants and open-air pools – with both warm and cold water.
Horizontal roofs are exploited, shrubs, trees and grass grow here, and all elements of architecture without exception are charged with positive and cheerful mood.
La Tourette/cite radieuse, Le Corbusier
The abbot, Father Couturier, decided to build the monastery. He found the contacts of the great architect and commanded him to place a hundred hearts and bodies in the silence of contemplation and silence. The order was paid for by the generous hand of the Catholic Church.
Subsequently, however, this amazing cult place was partially deprived of its sacred status: under its vaults there are 60 single rooms in the style of monastic cells, each of which can be booked for accommodation.
This is not the only way to settle in the creation of the genius of modernist architecture, the creator of games of volumes and light - in Marseille there is a complex called Cite Radieuse ("Radiant City"). It is an eighteen-story building on swept supports, inside which there are 338 apartments and 16 modular rooms.
Les Arcs Ski Resort, 1967
In the late 1960s, the pioneer of modernism in architecture and like-minded Le Corbusier, Carlotta Perrian, took part in the work on the project of a winter ski resort.
According to her idea, the complex of buildings of the hotel has a cascade design, following which the building lies on the slope of the mountain, reproducing its natural relief. Spacious terraces and balconies, windows with glazed panorama overlook the south side, where the sun shines almost all day.
Unfortunately, so far only one apartment has been preserved in its original form, the owners adjusted everything else to their needs and constantly rebuilt. These premises in the late 1990s were bought by a designer from Japan Sashiko Altaba-Yamimura on shares with friends-big fans of Perrian's work.
Museumotel, Pascal Heuserman
Nine residential buildings made of reinforced concrete in the form of bubbles were built in 1967 according to the project of the Swiss Pascal Heuserman, who promoted new methods of organizing and finishing spaces.
Initially, bubble houses were supposed to become part of a large hotel - they offered to rent rooms for those who wanted to retire and experience peace of mind, because the bubbles were located in the middle of the Vosges mountain range.
In the 80s, however, the hotel was abandoned, and only the actions of a close-knit group of civil activists to find a sponsor and enter the object in the register of historical and architectural monuments made it possible to reopen its doors to guests. That was in 2007. And in 2019, the hotel was bought, restored, re-added to the list of monuments, only federal - and it is again ready to receive guests who have a penchant for a secluded vacation.
Cube hostel, Pete Blom
Cubic houses, also known as Kijk-kubus,are one of Rotterdam's most famous landmarks. In total, there are 40 buildings, they have an inclination of 45 degrees, which symbolizes trees, and in aggregate - an urban forest.
Local architect and designer Peter Blom wanted to create a village in the middle of the city. Built in 1984, the buildings are wooden, painted yellow, and one house is open to all comers, excursions are held here. In another cube you can rent a room: enterprising owners have opened a hotel here.
