lifestyle&PORCELANOSA

Issue no. 9/5 euros

CREATORSSPACES

KITCHENSBATHROOMS

BIG PROJECTSAvant-garde design

STRUCTURES MATERIALS FINISHES

EDITORIAL5

lifestyle

Lifestyle STAFFEDITORIAL BOARDCristina Colonques

Ricardo FerrerFrancisco Peris

Félix Balado

PUBLISHEREDICIONES CONDÉ-NAST S.A.

MANAGING EDITORSandra del Río

ART & DESIGN DIRECTORVital R. García

EDITORIAL STAFFMarta Baras del Toral

Estela MelgarIsabel Aranguren

CONTRIBUTORSAna Domínguez Siemens

Beatriz TárregaGema Monroy

PHOTOGRAPHERSAcanthe

Silvio PosadaDennis Gilbert

Peter CookOriol Tarridas

Jean Fabiene de SalveGetty Images

PRODUCTIONFrancisco Morote (Director)

Rosana VicenteFernando Bohúa

ARCHIVESReyes Domínguez (Director)

Irene RodríguezEva Vergarachea

Begoña Sobrín

TRANSLATORPaloma Gil

COPY EDITORThomas MacIntosh

PHOTO-LAB Espacio y Punto

PRINTER A. G. S.

Catalogue no.: M-51752-2002

Architects, painters, industrial designers, interior decorators, and stylists all agree on one thing: the only way to attain excellence at work is by using the best materials.

In our times, the concern for the maximum comfort is a constant in homeliving, and at the hotels in which we stay, also in the public spaces we visit. Living in harmonic and balanced atmospheres is, without

a doubt, a priority. Lifestyle, the magazine of Porcelanosa Group, endeavours to show in this issue some works by architects, designers, interior decorators and landscape gardeners who well know that in order to attain the maximum excellence at their work, using only the best materials is a must. The Grand Hotel Roca Nivaria, in Tenerife, stands proud of its architecture and its interiors, for guests with discretion and comfort in mind. The Spaniard Julio Valiela, an architect now settled in France, is the creator of Casa Le Roy, a villa endowed with personality and quiet luxury for its owners, who were looking for the perfect second house. In the Hotel Parlament of Budapest, a jewel in the capital city of Hungary, a sound balance has been achieved: exteriors in harmony with the city, and high-level minimalist interiors. All these buildings have the choice of Porcelanosa Group’s ceramic materials to cover walls, floors, bathrooms and kitchens in common. Three internationally acclaimed interior architects have chosen material from Porcelanosa Group and, as a starting point, have created an exclusively signature project. For all three, the materials chosen are the maximum expression of quality, safety and functionality. Three fashion designers choose their ideal bathroom. Media personalities, lords of the catwalk who admit the importance of the bathroom, and that of its personal touch—in this case, that of the Porcelanosa Group.Comfortable atmospheres, lounges, objects of design. And also a big artist: Manolo Valdés, who dons our pages with the power of his creations, where materials come to life. /

PRECIOUS MATERIALS

SUMMARY7

lifestyle

NEWSPorcelanosa gathers the most glamorous

characters in the world

ARTISTSAn exclusive interview with the artist

Manolo Valdés in his workshop

SPACESThe Grand Hotel Roca Nivaria opens

its doors on Costa Adeje, Tenerife

INSPIRATIONThree avant-garde studios design their

projects for Porcelanosa

INDOORSJulio Valiela designs a home

full of comfort and wellbeing

BATHROOMSCusto, Elie Saab and Robert Clergerie

choose their ideal bathroom

SPACESThe Best Western Premier’s

Hotel Parlament, a jewel in Budapest

AVANT-GARDEPorcelanosa’s design objects

and spaces: the union makes the design

TRAVELLINGLondon renews its façades

EVENTSPorcelanosa headquarters in Watford

SPACESAn avant-garde bistro in Washington

NEWSNespresso in Spain

ADDRESSESPorcelanosa worldwide

IN THE HOME OFÓscar de la Renta, the fashion’s gentleman

814182430364248545860626466

14

NUMBER 9

48

Ph

oto

grap

hs

take

n f

rom

th

e bo

ok

New

Lo

ndo

n A

rch

itect

ure

, by

Ken

net

h

Pow

ell.

Mer

rell

Pu

blis

her

s

Cover: Silvio Posada

18

24

54

66

NEWS 8 / 9

lifestyle

Once again, and what has become quite usual, Porcelanosa made a show of its summoning force by holding a lunch for over 500 people in its facilities. Among the attendants were developers and architects from the provinces of Castellón and Valencia, accompanying the actor Kevin Costner, who was visiting the Porcelanosa Group’s central offices for the first time, thus answering to the invitation posed by the company during the opening of its new centre in Madrid. Apart from the presence of Costner and his wife, there were also the international top models Claudia Schiffer and Nieves Álvarez, as well as some of the personalities who are usually seen at the openings and events organised by Porcelanosa, such as the Duchess of Montoro and her boyfriend Gonzalo Miró, and Isabel Sartorius, who wanted to accompany the actor in his first visit to the Group’s head offices.

The event started at two in the afternoon when the firm’s guests began to arrive at the exhibition that Porcelanosa has in its

Porcelanosa’s VIPsMore stars than in the

sky, that seemed to be the

motto of the event in which

Porcelanosa Group summoned

Isabel Sartorius, the Duchess

of Montoro, Gonzalo Miró,

Nieves Álvarez, Claudia

Schiffer and Mr and Mrs

Costner. All of them visited

the Group’s headquarters

in Villarreal.

headquarters. The first to arrive was the Spanish top model Nieves Álvarez, most interested in getting to know the company’s facilities. Eugenia Martínez de Irujo turned up accompanied by Gonzalo Miró, followed by Isabel Sartorius. Kevin Costner managed to command the attention of all accredited media over 60 journalists who had come expressly for the event. The last to arrive was the top model Claudia Schiffer, a great friend of Porcelanosa, and exuberant as usual. Inside the factory a spectacular marquee had been set up in the porcelain plant, and the lunch was livened up by Valencia’s Chamber Orchestra, who even played some of the themes of the films starred by Kevin Costner. Afterwards, the actor and his wife, together with the model Nieves Álvarez, headed the entourage that toured the production line, enquiring about the different sectors and techniques. The celebrities were accompanied by many of the Group’s clients, who wanted to join them on their visit. Before leaving, Kevin Costner gave a press conference in which he thanked Porcelanosa Group and showed himself pleasantly flattered by the warm welcome of all the attendants. /

The lunch, attended by the

celebrities and many clients,

personalities and press.

Valencia’s Chamber Orchestra

paid homage to Kevin Costner

by playing themes from some

of his films. Isabel Sartorius

and Claudia Schiffer, always

beautiful and smiling. Kevin

Costner, highly pleased with

his visit. Below, next to

Manuel Colonques and also

visiting Porcelanosa Group’s

facilities.

NEWS 10

lifestyleA real deal

George Clooney, one of the

most admired figures in the

world, both for his personal

attributes and for his work

as director and actor, signed

an extraordinary agreement

with Porcelanosa Group.

In the photograph, the actor

with Manuel Colonques.

NEWS Valeria in BarcelonaShe came, she posed, she stayed,

and is displayed in macro-size. The very beautiful Argentinian model Valeria Mazza is the magnified-ima-ge of Porcelanosa Group, covering the space that will be the shop’s emblem in Barcelona, currently under construction. Valeria greets the city in the heart of the Paseo de Gracia, on a giant canopy covering the future facilities. It is this icon of fashion, for the shop that will mark the Catalonian capital city’s most elegant avenue with style and solidi-ty. As always, Valeria has been there for Porcelanosa, giving her image in an on-going alliance between her and the Group, one that she admires and supports professionally time and again. /

George Clooney, actor, director, producer and “the sexiest man alive” according to the Ameri-can magazine People that prepares the annual list, was recently in Spain. The reason for his visit? A special agreement with Porcelanosa Group disclosed by an exclusive feature for the magazi-ne Hola. With a big display of photographs, the actor shared the spotlight with the always elegant and enigmatic Isabel Preysler, a usual figure in the group. The piece, shot by the photographer Pepe Botella, shows Clooney in his best threads, looking fit, and with his legendary kindness. Once again, Porcelanosa has had one of the most emblematic personalities in the world. /

NEWS 12

lifestyle

In a spectacular event, Enrique Bañuelos de Castro, the President of the Astroc Foundation, introduced New York’s society to a paella for 20,000 people. The chosen location was Rumsey Playfield, in Central Park, with fifty paelleros just in from Spain, involved in the event, who used ingredients sent from Valencia in a massive-scale logistic operation, under the gastronomic direction of the paellero Manuel Velarte. Among the attendants, and representing the Regional Government of Valencia, was its Minister of Agriculture, Juan Cotino, who highlighted the “big effort” that the Generalitat is making in order to “promote Valencia’s products”. Accompanying Cotino were the major representatives of the firm Astroc, from Valencia, as well as New York politicians and thousands of onlookers who turned up in Central Park hoping to taste the most famous dish from Valencia, Spain.

CULTURE AND FOLKLORE

New York’s famous park was bathed in Valencia’s culture and heritage. Nearly fifty people dressed the typical regional costumes (of farmers and saragüell) from Valencia—all of them designed by the reputed designer Enrique Marzal, who travelled to New York with his team. The event had the collaboration of the hairdresser Lola Torrente. And Francisco, a famous singer from Valencia, also took part interpreting some songs, including Valencia’s regional anthem.

According to Benjamín Atienza, head of Institutional Relations in the Astroc Foundation, “the day’s been a huge success. We’re very satisfied with the warm welcome that Valencia’s gastronomy and culture have had among New Yorkers. For the Astroc Foundation, it’s been a very good starting point in its task of promoting Valencia and Spain in the United States.”

The Foundation Astroc was set up in Valencia in 2003, and since then has been conducting actions to “cover the different fields comprising the promotion of the Community of Valencia in particular, and Spain in general”.

New York bows before the paella

Among them, the fields of culture and art stand out, for the Foundation is a sponsor of the IVAM [Valencia’s Museum of Modern Art] and for the agreement of collaboration with the Foundation Caixa Galicia, as well as gastronomic, sportive and international cooperation events. /

LEFT Falleros next to

the stage created by the

Foundation Astroc in Central

Park, New York

BELOW A falleros [Las Fallas

is the major festival in

Valencia] group dancing in the

emblematic New York park

UP TOP ON THE LEFT Paelleros

visiting the prestigious

Frick Collection in New York

RIGHT Enrique Bañuelos

de Castro and his wife, posing

with the guests

BELOW ON THE LEFT

The singer Francisco with

a group of falleros

ABOVE Clockwise, by pairs,

Leticia Espinosa de los

Monteros, director of the

Astroc Foundation,

and her husband; Enrique

Bañuelos, the President

of Astroc and his wife; Concha

Castillejo, Astroc’s General

Director, and her husband

Text: ANA DOMÍNGUEZ Photographs: D.R.

ARTISTS14 / 15

lifestyle Manolo

VALDÉSTHE GAZE OF ART

The genius lives between

two cities, Madrid and

New York. In the American

metropolis, he paints and

projects his architectural

pieces, while in the Spanish

capital, he brings them to life.

He is a multidisciplinary artist; he paints, sculpts and creates his pieces from research and experimentation with materials.

Bronze, marble, granite or wood, are his favourite foodstuffs.

Manolo Valdés cannot shake my hand when he receives me in his study in Madrid: I have caught him red-handed. Dressed in painter white overalls, a wall painter to be precise, he is in his bright open study, right in the heart of the golden mile, surrounded by one of his three big bookshelves, and where he makes pieces that he has envisioned earlier in New York. He is the definition of the anti-star, close and natural: “Living between these two cities is complementary, a constant inspirational tickle if you will, and also an open door to balance. In addition, I have my work rather divided: in New York I paint and project architectural pieces, and Madrid is where I materialise them; here, for instance, is the foundry where I make my sculptures. Madrid is my home, my adopted city and where I like to be. Besides, it’s got some advantages —when I was a Fine Arts student, I always said that people in Madrid had an advantage, for they had the Prado Museum and, therefore, they should feel the need to paint better. I still maintain that the Prado is the best school to learn to see.”

His most prolific work is in sculpture, wherein he does not get fussy with materials. In fact, he is known for his eagerness to experiment, to get to know them in depth, to dig in: “Each sculpture asks for a specific material. Personally, I love bronze and even stones such as marble, alabaster or granite, but then each piece is also conditioned by the place where it is going to be installed —it’s not the same whether it’s outdoors or indoors… Woods, in turn, I use them depending on their colours, and on whatever else comes through. Recently, I’ve found some superb olive-tree wood, and I’ve made a piece with it. But I can never decide which material I want first: it sort of happens the other way round. The wood pieces that I turned into bookshelves, for instance, are made out of some boards called “quebrancho”, and they come from the Argentinian railway sleepers.”

Another of the materials he has worked with is ceramics. He has made an impressive 20-m high sculpture, enormous, for a square in Valencia. “That sculpture, whose conception has been very arduous, is a gigantic head made up of 27,000 pieces in the shape

BELOW Leger as a pretext.

Each sculpture requires

different material.

His favourites are bronze,

alabaster, marble and even

granite. Yet he never forgoes

wood, as in the piece on

the left, he uses it according

to its colour and tone.

OPPOSITE Matisse as a

pretext, one of his works.

LEFT Plural creator if there

ever was one, Manolo Valdés

is, above all, an artist. His

paintings are, as he himself

puts it, eminently tactile: La

Pecera [The fishbowl].

16 / 17

lifestyleof the same head, reduced to a 20-cm scale, and these small pieces have been put into a structure made in a big metallic fabric shaped as that big head. A flight of stairs was installed inside so that the sculpture could be assembled. The small pieces, once fired up, have been enamelled in the cobalt blue also used for cathedral t i les, such a beautiful colour… We made the small pieces in a mechanised way because if they had been handmade, it would have been hard to control their weight —a matter that was of paramount importance. So, we had to opt for this system, which has turned out very satisfactorily. At the distance they are viewed —the piece is placed in a square full of cars, pedestrians, etc., all criss-crossing—, it wouldn’t have been appreciated were they hand-made. Anyway, the effect is fantastic: each of them hangs in a different position, and therefore, receives and reflects light in a different manner, creating a very interesting texture. This production in Valencia has taken us almost six months.”

He visits the Prado nonstop since he started to travel as an adolescent, and the museum has been the source of inspiration for many of the subject matters running through his

work over time. The Meninas, for instance, may be the most recognisable of his motifs: “It’s funny, but when I am abroad, nobody associates me with the Meninas. If you see my exhibition at the Reina Sofía Museum, there were all kinds of things: bookshelves, still lifes, bags, perfumes…” Manolo Valdés considers himself a “peeping Tom”: “All

painters are to a certain extent”, but it is also true that he feels attracted by the materials with which he works; he enjoys handling them. So much so that I would say that rather than a voyeur, he is a “groper”: “Yes, you’re right: painting —materiel painting—, has sometimes that sensuality. And yes, my paintings, due to these pastes, these textures, have that particularity of being very tactile —not to mention my sculptures. In fact, I like people to get close and to touch them. Not the paintings, of course —those I protect by enclosing them in a sort or crystal urn.”

How does he choose the subject that is going to be the object of his next work? “You never know when a subject will come to light, some of them drive you crazy and you don’t know how to work them out, and time slides by… And on other occasions, they shine through easily enough. For instance, the

bookshelf motif emerged one summer when we rented a house in Connecticut. We arrived at night, and I left books that I had with me on a table. In the morning, when I went down to decide which subject I’d work on, I noticed the beautiful effect of light on the table and the books, and at once I saw it and bam! I had it. I’ve always played with the idea of making

“I THOUGHT THAT SHOWING MY DRAWINGS WAS LIKE SHOWING THE PALETTE, A VERY DULL HOUSEHOLD THING THAT

NOBODY WOULD WANT TO SEE. BUT I WAS WRONG.”

a bas-relief as well, but I’d never decided the motif for it, so one thing led to the other…” What about a motif as unusual as a perfume flask in his work? “Well, that came in to view after seeing the exhibition of Greek and Egyptian vessels at the Metropolitan, and from the walks I used to take around Madison Avenue, where you see all those shop windows with today’s incredible perfume flasks… The idea emerged from a mixture of all this. The same thing happened with the Met bag, another of my paintings. For me, it’s a fetish, because I lived right in front of that museum, and from my window I saw people coming out carrying that blue bag, and I thought: this is my kind of stuff. The truth is, it’s very curious to notice how topics emerge. I am always on the look-out, observing —even despite myself, I sometimes think— until suddenly something gives me a clue”. I would say that most of his pieces undergo a complex elaboration from the moment he sketches them. Valdés was not interested, however, in having his drawings shown in his last exhibition at the Reina Sofía Museum: “Well, that’s because I thought that showing the drawings was almost like showing the palette —a very dull household thing that nobody would want to see, a thing with no autonomy. But I was wrong, they’ve had great success, people like to see the process through which things are made.” /

ABOVE One of the most

recognisable motifs

in his work: his inspiration in

Velázquez’s painting

Las Meninas

RIGHT Manolo Valdés

in his study

LEFT Carved sculpture

on which the work

of the artist can be

appreciated in material,

Sitting Woman II

OPPOSITE The painting

Matisse as a pretext, where

the artist’s textures can be

appreciated.

BELOW Three images of

Manolo Valdés’ workshop. In

the middle, the artist putting

the finishing touches to his

Meninas. RIGHT Manolo Valdés

working with his team to

control all the details of his

creations.

ILLUSTRATED WALLS The emphasis of this lounge is on its main wall, which gives a grand-style effect to all the room. The paving and covering are in natural slate, from L’Antic Colonial. It is the model Nepal, measuring 60 x 90cm. The fireplace covering, also made in natural slate, is the model Brick Nepal, from L’Antic Colonial. Measures, 40 x 10cm.

3 44. WINE KNOT BOTTLE RACK

Made by the designers Scott

Henderson, Tony Baxter

and Alberto Mantilla for Mint.

This original bottle rack is

made of birch fibre and walnut

plywood, and has a rustproof

steel stand. Pure design.

PURE LINES IN THE G930 KITCHEN BROWN WALNUT/WHITE GLASS, FROM GAMADECOR This kitchen combines a column area with fronts made in decorated white glass and interiors in brown walnut, with an L-shaped central aisle made in white glass and interiors in brown walnut. This piece has il-techs worktops, a cooking area and a sink under the worktop moulded from a single steel piece. The aisle’s stand and structure are made in aluminium with a rustproof steel finish, fitted with il-techs tray-buckets with collapsible lids. As for coverings, the model Titanio Silver was applied, from Porcelanosa. It is Ston-ker Treck (metallic finish). Its measures are 59.6 x 59.6cm for the paving, and 43.5 x 43.5cm for the kitchen’s covering. It is porcelain stoneware grounded, untoned and metallised.

52 / 53

lifestyle

5. TRIBO STOOL

Created by Ilse Lang, this

original stool is supported

on chromed steel legs. It has

a seat made in a selection

of two Brazilian hard woods

(Tasuari and Tamburi). Besides

its great decorative power, it

is very functional and can be

stacked.

6. SUSHI TIME PLATE

The winner of the bronze

medal of the 2006 Idea Prizes,

this original plate launches

a metaphor loaded with

design. In the centre, it holds

a space for the sauce and

another one for chopsticks,

arranged as the hands of a

clock — everything in place for

lovers of Japanese food. 5 6

COLOUR AND DESIGN IN THE G500 KITCHEN, ELECTRIC BLUE /BLACK SHINE, FROM GAMADECOR A kitchen in glossy blue, tall furniture units in shiny black. The wall is covered in ice oak, with embedded rails for accessories. The worktop and sink are made in one rustproof steel piece. The cooking area is separated from the rest of the kitchen, and made in structured steel. The furniture knobs are rustproof, and a system of modular lighting has been chosen. The kitchen has been covered in the model Duo Cristal Azul, from Porcelanosa. Its measures are 18 x 65.9cm. It has a matt, untoned and grounded finish. It is porcelain stoneware, and has been combined with a 5-mm steel edge, from Butech.

7. PENDING PH5 LAMP

This is one of the most

outstanding creations by

Paul Hennigsen. Designed in

1958, and now re-issued, it

comprises several layered

plates projecting light

vertically and horizontally.

To attain more warmth

in light diffusion, Henningsen

applied blue and red

inside two of their parts.7

TRAVELLING LONDON54 / 55

lifestyle

FROM THE INSIDE OUT

Very close to London Bridge, in-between St. Thomas and Tooley St., the foundations are being laid of what will be the highest habitable skyscraper in Europe: the Shard London Bridge, also known as the London Bridge Tower, a giant 310-metre glass spire, a work by Renzo Piano, with spaces for offices, residences and even a luxury hotel. This is one of the most talked about town-planning projects in London these days —although, of course, it is not alone. Not even the most ambitious.

We are in the headquarters of some of the most famous and reputed architects in the world. A real laboratory where personalities such as the already mentioned Renzo Piano, Richard Rogers, Sir Norman Foster, Wilkinson Eyre, Zaha Hadid or Rem Koolhaas, to name a few more, experiment with their personal vision of today’s 21st century city. Considering London’s current skyline, with its permanent fixture of working cranes, it is hard to believe that erecting buildings over 30 metres (the height of the fire-brigade stairs) was forbidden until the 1960s. Obviously, times have changed.

The controversial Millennium Dome, the Canary Wharf —an English-style Manhattan— the big wheel The Eye —offering the most exciting panoramic views of the capital—, the Millennium Bridge… All these projects meant to welcome the new millennium have already been assimilated as new icons of the city upon Thames. The unmistakable phallic silhouette of the Gherkin, by Norman Foster, occupied by the Swiss Re offices in 230 St. Mary Axe, and the egg-shaped GLA, the new-brand City Hall, compete in prestige with legendary classics such as Big Ben, St. Paul’s Cathedral and the Tower Bridge.

Yet, not all that shines in London is necessarily new. Spaces are being rescued for pedestrians —such as the enlargement of Trafalgar Square,

Text: GEMA MONROY Photographs: GRANT SMITH/VIEW

DENNIS GILBERT/VIEWPETER COOK/VIEW

GETTY IMAGES & D. R.

London has been immersed in an architectural

revolution for years that now has it projecting itself

as a city of the future but meanwhile,

within the city walls, things are also changing

in front of the National Gallery, that in turn has a new exhibition area—, historical façades have been embellished, entire areas are being restored, mainly in the Southern river banks, such as the Borough and Bermondsey areas, occupied now by young creators and lovers of delicious cuisine, and the docks area: in the Docklands, where even yesterday it seemed that Oliver Twist was still tearing about, a new concept of leisure and luxury has been born. Derelict stores have been recovered for the sake of the avant-garde, and the chimneys and turbines of the electric centrals and the old factories are now working again, this time attracting the public up to the new temples of art and culture. Nowadays, the major museums and cultural centres in London are having their structures modified. The British Museum’s hall and library —truly spectacular—, the Somerset House —with its famous terrace, the most idyllic in the capital, overlooking the Thames—, the Wallace Collection, the Science Museum,

TOP The reconstructed Floral

Hall in the Royal Opera

House, in Convent Garden.

The old flower market

has been converted into

a spectacular hall.

LEFT Views from the

Thames —the new London

skyline nurtures innovative

silhouettes, such as the

Gherkin by Norman Foster (on

the picture’s right).

RIGHT The Millennium Bridge

leads pedestrians from

the City’s medieval streets

up to the very latest

in art at the Tate Modern,

set up in an old factory.

56 / 57

lifestylethe Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, united now to the Royal Ballet by the light aluminium plates of the Bridge of Aspiration… Even the young Tate Modern will see its space enlarged by 70%, thanks to the construction of a spectacular glass pyramid made up of successive rectangular blocks that will host the many different galleries.

BEAUTY COMES FROM WITHINLondon has shed her skin, yet its

transformation is proving still more radical. She knows that real beauty comes from within, so she has rejuvenated from her innards out. So deep has this transmutation been that it went under the surface, with a new and ultra-modern underground line, the Jubilee Line; and brave enough to dare the sacred temples of sport such as the mythic Wembley stadium and the Marylebone cricket club, now covered in aluminium and known by the aristocratic name of Lord’s. Even gentleman’s clubs are changing! —Shed (17-20 Ironmonger Lane) illustrates this with its open spaces, design chairs and concrete ceilings, not intended for bowler gentlemen, but for the young businessmen from the City, who know in which direction the latest trends flow [follow word for word the canons of the latest trends].

In London, elegance is no longer in the hands of floral decorations, decadent comfort or equestrian allegories. Now Scandinavian furniture, a retro taste, vintage fabrics, Eastern decorations, futuristic materials and big, very big windows open to the outside are in vogue. And all this, of course, without renouncing even a tiny bit the old touch, made-in-Britain eccentric and outrageous. Design has seized the interior of restaurants, offices, official buildings, bars, shops, houses, hotels...

The duet of Starck&Schrager, who are responsible for the dream-like French-accented fantasies that, along with neat lighting which can be adjusted by guests to suit their particular taste, are the signatures in rooms and common areas in the hotels Sanderson and St. Martin Lane. Whereas Sir Terence Conrad, the British interior deco guru, is behind the success of the Great Eastern Hotel (presently, a part of the Hyatt family): a mixture of Victorian grandeur and Guggenheim aesthetics, and architecturally speaking, the most impressing accommodation in the capital. The title of “the hotel in fashion”, however, is held by the Soho

Design, also the star in the interior

Hotel, major banner of the accommodations opened by Kit and Tim Kemp (Firmdale Group) in London —at least, until Haymarket Hotel opens in the near future.

To witness this revolution inundating London interiors with design, nothing would be better (or funnier) than to go shopping or out for a bite—for instance, in the Marylebone area, where the antiques and curiosities compiled by Paul Smith (Albermarle St.) attract celebrities and collectors alike, or how about around Shoreditch and Spitafields. Here, very close to the most fashionable Sunday flea market du jour, is where the ubiquitous Norman Foster has conceived Canteen, an spotless restaurant, very modern and without the blow, where an excellent plate of beans —organic, of course—goes down with gusto.

Boutiques such as Margaret Howell (34 Wigmore St.), where clothes rest on vintage furniture and historical objects, are now spaces conceived as exhibition galleries. This is the case at Voyage (50 Conduit St.), where Nicole Kidman’s favourite Italian garments hang directly from the ceiling, while in Dover St. Market, works by emerging artists mix without a blink among concepts by the major leading designers, and in Coco Ribbon (133 Sloane St.), a Venetian fantasy full of candelabra and baroque mirrors, where exquisite home attire seems a part of the decor. /

TOP British Airways London

Eye, “The Eye”, is a privileged

lookout over the Thames,

on the South bank, and one of

the avant-garde benchmarks

in the new metropolis

LEFT Lloyd company’s office

complex in London, sited

in Lime Street and built by

the architect Richard Rogers

between 1978 and 1986,

still one of the most striking

modern buildings in the city

RIGHT Mobile floodgates

in the Thames Barrier, running

along an extension of 520m,

regulate the ebbs and flows

of the river’s tides

without forgetting design

1. A room in the SOHO Hotel

2. Bar AURORA, in the Hotel

Great Eastern. 3. LOUNGELOVER,

the stars’ favourite

4. PRÊT-A-PORTER, a tea in

fashion at Berkeley Hotel

5. Relaxed beauty

in the FIREVAULT restaurant

and lounge

6. The spa corner in Hotel

Mandarin Oriental

7. Curious objects in the new

PAUL SMITH boutique

8. Fashion design in MARNI

9. Clothing is a form of art in

MARGARET HOWELL’s

1

2

3

4

5 6

7

9

8

PORCELANOSA IN LONDON58 / 59

lifestyle

The power of Porcelanosa Group in the United Kingdom is a reality consolidating itself more every day. A

fine sample of this is at the spectacular Wattford complex, an architectural project by Higgs Young Architects. The Group’s headquarters in England are endowed with the most up-to-date technological advances, and has an exhibition area, offices and a 16,000-square-metre storage centre. Porcelanosa Group, on the avant-garde of design and technology, has covered its offices with special anti-wear ceramics and a unique finish (Porcelanosa’s Stonker tiles). The offices and showroom can hold over 200 visitors, and the complex is fitted out for conferences, high-level meetings and, of course, an exhibition opened to the public of all the range of bathroom and kitchen products and ceramic coverings. The best service is the key for this entrepreneurial success.www.porcelanosa-uk.com

20,000 square metres of state-of-the-art technology applied to ceramic coverings, design in bathrooms, kitchens and spas.Porcelanosa Group represents an undisputable quality and service benchmark in England, and its headquarters in Watford are the proof.

In Bushley, very close

to Watford (England),

Porcelanosa Group has located

its very modern headquarters.

An impressing industrial

complex holding a storage

centre fitted with the latest

technological advances,

offices carefully finished in all

detail regarding coverings and

structures, and a showroom

so that visitors can know

the novelties of the Group’s

different brands. Design,

technology and being a leader

in the sector of ceramic

coverings have allowed

really high production levels

throughout the 15 years that

Porcelanosa Group

has been operating in the

United Kingdom, as well as its

being regarded a quality and

service benchmark.

SPACES WASHINGTON TABAC60 / 61

lifestyle

A BISTRO WITH A VIEW

Text: ESTELA MELGARPhotos: D.R.

Adams Morgan is one of the most cosmopolitan districts in Washington DC. Most of the houses date from 19th century and the beginnings of the 20th century, and have been converted into restaurants and discos. Their façades are considered cultural heritage and cannot be remodelled. This is why the colonial look of the buildings so often contrasts with the avant-garde decoration of their interiors.

The Tabac Bistro, a pioneer of the new Turkish cuisine, is one of the best venues in the area. The building where it is situated has four floors and was created by designer Daniel Popesco. The bar is placed in the basement of the building, in a brick loft paved in natural concrete.

The main dining room is on the ground floor, and is known as “The red room”. The leading role of this colour combines with black, steel and candles for lighting. “The idea —Popesco says— is to create an atmosphere where sight,

sound and touch relaxes one so as to smell and taste our food better”.

The room’s warm touch is provided by Roble Cognac floorings, a spectacular wood produced by Porcelanosa. In addition, the Tabac Bistro has a room devoted to private events, “The arts room”, with its floor in Block Wenge, ceramic parquet covering from Venis.

THE CRYSTAL TERRACEThe building’s loft —the most genuine space in

the venue— was christened “the crystal terrace” for the stained glass windows surrounding it that can be opened. From this terrace the spectacular views of the Capitol and the Washington Memorial can be enjoyed. To solve the problems caused by wet weather, the floor was covered with anti-slip Cáucaso Verde, from Venis, avoiding slipping and highly resistant to abrasion.

Both men’s and women’s toilets are designed with their users’ taste in mind. The women’s bathroom is very feminine, covered in big mirrors and decorated in Venice Marfil, a creamy-blue tile from Porcelanosa, while for the men’s, Multiblock Carpatia Negro, from Venis, was applied. /

The Washington Tabac is a surprising space entirely made with elements from Porcelanosa Group with a colonial exterior and an avant-garde interior full of colour and snazzy design.

ABOVE A view of the exterior of the Washington Tabac,

with its peculiar façade

RIGHT One of the venue bars, in brick, where

the bar logo can be seen

BELOW Spectacular views of the Capitol and the Washington

Memorial from inside the loft

ABOVE The famous crystal

terrace

RIGHT AND BELOW “The arts

room”, with state-of-the-art

technology and paintings by

the artist Jamal Sahri

LEFT “The red room”, whose

embedded seats have been

expressly designed for

this venue. This room has also

a disc jockey cabin where

chill out music wafts lightly

around the tables

RIGHT Men’s toilet in grey

and black, the favourite tones

of the male public

COMPANY 62

lifestylePorcelanosa in Bologna…

The main brands in the market of ceramics have been displayed in the Ceramics and Baths International Fair Cersaie. Porcelanosa could not miss this appointment and moved its latest novelties to Bologna.

Nespresso has literally revolutionized the industrial technology applied to coffee makers, either industrial or home appliances. Having a Nespresso has turned into a must. The different designs of Nespresso products are a work by the industrial designer Antoine Cahen, from Lausanne, except the Alessi appliance, designed by Richard Sapper. To this new fusion of design and technology adds now the Nespresso Porsche Design Studio, created by the master Ferdinand Alexander Porsche to join his brand, Porsche, to Nespres-so and Siemens. The model Porsche Design Studio, internationally recognised as leader in Europe, has a functional, timeless and lucid style reflecting the ideas and philosophy of the three brand-new partners.

Among the Porsche Design Studio’s innovations is the “one touch” cappuccino, that by simply pressing a button automatically makes the expresso and heats and adds steamed, foamed milk, performing all these functions in a couple of seconds. Thus, Porsche offers its users a sublime experience with the unmistakable fragrance Nes-presso and the cutting-edge Siemens technology in a presentation of the highest level in industrial design.

The model will go on sale in Spain at the end of 2006. The launch pack, very attractive, includes a Nespresso cup, twelve cappuccino units, an instruction manual and a voucher for two latte macchiato glasses available in the Nespresso Club.

Style and technologyNespresso Siemens / Porsche Design Studio

As every year, Porcelanosa Group has been present in the Ceramics and Baths International Fair, CERSAIE, in the Italian city of Bologna. The event, held from 26th to 30th September, served as a meeting point for all the novelties in the ceramics market.

Porcelanosa endeavoured to share with all visitors its latest commitments, in which such textures as natural crystal for coverings, and

mosaics with metallic effects prevail . The attendants could also enjoy the new colours in bathroom and kitchen furniture, as well as the highest technology applied to tap gear and the assemblage mate-rials for ceramic cove-rings.

CERSAIE is one of the most interesting fairs in the world, as the visiting public has shown. Over 90,000 people have visited the nearly 1,000 stands from 32 countries. The objective: to get to know the best in ceramics and coverings.

…and in Kortrijk (Belgium)

Porcelanosa Group, present in the most important fairs in the world, has not missed its appointment with the Interior Design Fair Interieur 06, in Belgium. At the current edition Designed for you, held from 13th to 22nd October in Kortrijk, the main international designers gathered, and the latest novelties in the market were displayed, both in interior deco and design.

Impacting exhibitions, the presence of international guests and many events around the fair gave momentum and con-tent to Interieur 06, the new vision for the professional world market.

ÁLAVAJORGE FERNÁNDEZ CERÁMICASVITORIA Los Herrán, 30. Tel. 945 254 755 - Fax 945 259 668Urartea, 28. Pol. AliI Gobeo. Tel. 945 244 250 - Fax 945 247 877

ALBACETEPORCELANOSAPol. Campollano. Antigua Ctra. Madrid, s/n. Tel. 967 243 658

ALICANTEPORCELANOSAALICANTE Calle del Franco. Pol. Las Atalayas, p. VI. Tel. 965 109 561 ALCOY Oficina Cial. Isabel La Católica, 1. Tel. 965 333 758 - Fax 965 333 767Avda. Valencia, 34. Tel. 965 332 028ALTEA Carrer Bon Repós, s/n. Edif. Glorieta I. Tel. 965 841 507BENISSA Pla dels Carrals, s/n. Tel. 965 730 419CALPE Avda. Ejércitos Españoles, Apolo VII, Local 10. Tel. 965 839 105DENIA FONTANERÍA LLACEROffices, store & technical Department Pol. San Carlos 8-9 - Tel. 965 781 635. Shop and exhibition Pedreguer, 10-12ELCHE Ctra. Alicante, Km. 2. Tel. 966 610 676 - Fax 966 610 700ELDA Avda. Mediterráneo, 20-22. Tel. 966 981 594 - Fax 966 981 285JAVEA Partida Pla, 79. Tel. 965 791 036SAN JUAN Ctra. Valencia, Km. 88. Tel. 965 656 200 - Fax 965 655 644TORREVIEJA Avda. Cortes Valencianas, 58. Tel. 966 708 445

ALMERÍAPORCELANOSAALMERÍA Avda. Mediterráneo, s/n. Tel. 950 143 567 - Fax 950 142 067EL EJIDO Ctra. San Isidro, 117. Tel. 950 483 285 - Fax 950 486 500HUERCAL OVERA Pza. Almería, 8. Tel. 950 470 199 - Fax 950 616 023ROQUETAS DE MAR Ctra. Alicún, Km. 142. Tel. 950 325 575 - Fax 950 338 651

ASTURIASGARCÍA MILLÁNOVIEDO Cerdeño, s/n. Tel. 985 113 696AVILÉS Gutiérrez Herrero, 11. Tel. 985 549 744 - Fax 985 544 543PORCEASTURGIJÓN Avda. Constitución, 2. Tel. 985 171 528 - Fax 985 170 355

ÁVILAPORCELANOSAÁVILA Pol. Ind. Vicolozano, p. 2. Tel. 920 259 820 - Fax 920 259 821

BADAJOZPORCELANOSABADAJOZ CN-V Madrid-Lisboa, Km. 399. Tel. 924 229 144 - Fax 924 229 143MÉRIDA Pol. Princesa Sofía. Tel. 924 330 218 - Fax 924 330 315

BALEARESPORCELANOSAPALMA DE MALLORCA Pol. Son Castello. Tel. 971 430 667 - Fax 971 297 094Avda. Alexandre Rossello, 34. Tel. 971 433 796INCA Carrer Pagesos, s/n Pol. Ind. Inca. Tel. 971 507 650 - Fax 971 507 656IBIZA St. Antoni de Portmany. Pol. Montecristo, s/n. Ctra. Ibiza-San Antonio. Tel. 971 317 292TOLO FLORITMENORCA Ciudadela. Polígono, Calle F-59. Tel. 971 384 411A. PELLICERMENORCA Mahón. Polígono, Av. Cap de Cavallería. Tel. 971 352 300

BARCELONAPORCELANOSA CATALUNYAL´HOSPITALET Carrer Ciències, 65. Gran Vía L´H. Tel. 932 642 500

BIZKAIABILBUAMOREBIETA Barrio Boroa, s/n. Tel. 946 731 158 - Fax 946 733 265BILBAO Iturriaga, 78. Tel. 944 113 018Henao, 27. Tel. 944 240 576Alameda Recalde, 39-41.

BURGOS LA BUREBAMIRANDA DE EBRO Camino Fuente Basilio, s/n. Tel. 947 323 351

CÁCERESPORCELANOSACÁCERES Ctra. Cáceres-Mérida, Km. 0,5. Tel. 927 236 337 - 927 236 254 AZULEJOS ROMU, SAPLASENCIA Avda. Salamanca, 66. Tel./Fax 927 423 361

CÁDIZPORCELANOSACÁDIZ Avda. José León Carranza, esq. Plaza Jerez. Tel. 956 205 622PTO. DE STA. MARÍA Ctra. Madrid-Cádiz, Km. 654. Pol. Ind. El Palmar. Tel. 956 540 084/083SAN FERNANDO Pol. Tres Caminos, s/n. Tel. 956 592 360 JEREZ DE LA FRONTERA Parque Empresarial. CN-IV. Tel. 956 187 160 ALGECIRAS Ctra. Málaga, Km. 109. Tel. 956 635 282 - Fax 956 635 285

CANARIASPORCELANOSALAS PALMAS Avda. Mesa y López, 61. Tel. 928 472 949 - Fax 928 472 944SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE Avda. Tres de Mayo, 18. Tel. 922 209 595SANTA CRUZ DE LA PALMA Abenguareme, 3. Tel. 922 412 143 LOS LLANOS DE ARIDANE Las Rosas, s/n. Tel. 922 461 112 - Fax 922 461 166

CANTABRIAPORCELANOSASANTANDER Avda. Parayas, s/n. Tel. 942 352 510 - Fax 942 352 638TORRELAVEGA Boulevard Demetrio Herrero, 1. Tel. 942 835 026

CASTELLÓNPORCELANOSACASTELLÓN Asensi, 9. Tel. 964 239 162 VILLARREAL Ctra. Villarreal-Onda, Km. 3. Tel. 964 506 800 - Fax 964 525 418VINAROZ Ctra. N-340, Km. 141,4. Tel. 964 400 944 - Fax 964 400 650

CIUDAD REALPORCELANOSA CIUDAD REAL Ctra. de Carrión, 11. Tel. 926 251 730 - Fax 926 255 741ALCAZAR DE SAN JUAN Corredera, 56. Tel./Fax 926 546 727

CÓRDOBAPORCELANOSACÓRDOBA CN-IV, Km. 404. Pol. Torrecilla. Tel. 957 760 024LUCENA Egido Plaza de Toros, 35. Tel. 957 509 334 - Fax 957 509 166

CUENCAPORCELANOSAHermanos Becerril, 6. Bajos. Tel. 969 233 200

GRANADATECMACER, S.L.ARMILLA Avda. San Rafael. Tel. 958 253 081 - Fax 958 183 367

GUIPÚZCOABELARTZA CERÁMICAS, S.L.SAN SEBASTIÁN Pol. Belartza. Fernando Múgica, 15. Tel. 943 376 966

HUELVAPORCELANOSAHUELVA Ctra. Tráfico Pesado, s/n. Pol. La Paz. Tel. 959 543 600LEPE Ctra. Huelva-Ayamonte, s/n. Tel. 959 645 011 - 959 384 200BOLLULLOS DEL CONDADO Avda. 28 de Febrero, 200. Tel. 959 413 820

HUESCAPORCELANOSAPol. Sepes - Ronda La Industria 1-3. Tel. 976 242 738 - Fax 974 242 676

JAÉNPORCELANOSAJAÉN Pol. Olivares. Ctra. Bailén-Motril, Km 323. Tel. 953 280 757 ÚBEDA Don Bosco, 25. Tel. 953 755 008LINARES Avda. de Andalucía, 13. Tel. 953 607 035 - Fax 953 607 705

LA CORUÑAPORCELANOSASANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA General Pardiñas, 13-bajo. Tel. 981 569 230

PORCELANOSA SHOPS Avda. Rosalía de Castro, 129. Tel. 981 530 900 - Fax 981 530 901JOSÉ OTERO S.A.Alto del Montouto-Ctra de La Estrada, Km 3. Santiago. Tel. 981 509 270SUMINISTROS VIA-MARLA CORUÑA Avda. Finisterre, 11. Tel. 981 279 431BETANZOS Avda. Fraga Iribarne, s/n. Tel. 981 772 190ALMACENES NEIRAEL FERROL Ctra. Catabois, 258. Tel. 981 326 532ORTEGAL BAÑOORTIGUEIRA Ld. Cuina. Ctra. Comarcal 642. Tel. 981 400 880

LA RIOJARIOJACERLOGROÑO Avda. de Burgos, 43. Tel. 941 286 021 - Fax 941 202 271

LEÓNPORCELANOSALEÓN Fray Luís de León, 24. Tel. 987 344 439S. ANDRÉS DEL RABANEDO Ctra. León-Astorga, Km. 3,5. Tel. 987 801 570/571 PONFERRADA Pol. Ind. del Bierzo, p. 5. Tel. 987 456 410 - Fax 987 402 155

LLEIDAMATERIALS PIRINEULA SEU D’URGELL Ctra. de Lleida, 28. Tel. 973 351 850 - Fax 973 353 410

LUGOALMACENES BAHIA S.L.FOZ Maestro Lugilde, 6. Tel. 982 140 957ARIAS NADELA COMERCIAL S.L. LUGO Tolda de Castilla, s/n. Tel. 982 245 725

MADRIDPORCELANOSALEGANÉS Avda. Recomba, 13. Pol. La Laguna. M50, s. 53. Tel. 914 819 202MADRID Alcalá, 514. Tel. 917 545 161 Ortega y Gasset, 62. Tel. 914 448 460 ALCOBENDAS Río Norte. Tel. 916 623 232ALCORCÓN CN-V, Km. 15,5. Parque Oeste. Tel. 916 890 172

MÁLAGAPORCELANOSAMÁLAGA Avda. Velázquez, 77. Tel. 952 241 375 - Fax 952 240 092ANTEQUERA Río de la Villa, 3. Polígono. Tel. 952 701 819 MARBELLA Ricardo Soriano, 65. Tel. 952 826 868 - Fax 952 822 880

MELILLAPORCELANOSAMELILLA Paseo Marítimo Mir Berlanga, s/n. Tel. 952 696 174

MURCIAPORCELANOSALORCA Ctra. de Granada, 127. Pol. Ind. Los Peñones. Tel. 968 478 130CARTAGENA Paseo Alfonso XIII, 70. Bajo. Tel. 968 529 302 ESPINARDO Ctra. Madrid-Murcia, Km. 384,6. Tel. 968 879 527 YECLA Avda. de la Paz, 195. Tel. 968 718 048 - Fax 968 718 048CARAVACA DE LA CRUZ Avda. Ctra. Granada, 20. Tel. 968 705 647

NAVARRAMONTEJO CERÁMICASPAMPLONA Navas de Tolosa, s/n. Tel. 948 224 000 - Fax 948 226 424MUTILVA BAJA Pol. Ctra. Tajonar, calle-A, Naves 2-4. Tel. 948 239 065 TUDELA Ctra. Tudela -Tarazona. Pol. Ctro. Servicios. Tel. 948 848 365 CERÁMICAS CECILIO CHIVITECINTRUÉNIGO Variante N-113, Polígono. Tel. 948 811 973

OURENSEGREMASA Ctra. de la Sainza, 48, bajo. Tel. 988 237 350

PALENCIACANTALAPIEDRA PALENCIA Juan Ramón Jiménez, 4-6. Tel. 979 706 421 - Fax 979 702 652

PONTEVEDRAGREMASA MOSVIGO Urzaiz, 13. Tel. 986 224 100

SANEAMIENTOS ROSALESVIGO García Barbón, 139-B. Tel. 986 228 806SEIJO-MARÍN Doctor Otero Ulloa, 1. Tel. 986 702 041 - Fax 986 702 080

SALAMANCAPORCELANOSAVILLARES DE LA REINA Pol. Villares. Ctra. Salamanca-Valladolid, Km. 2,2. Tel. 923 243 811 - Fax 923 123 414

SEGOVIASEGOCERSEGOVIA José Zorrilla, 134. Tel. 921 444 122 EL ESPINAR Ctra. Madrid-La Coruña, Km. 64. Tel. 921 172 426

SEVILLAPORCELANOSASEVILLA Avda. de Andalucía, 3. Tel. 954 579 595 - Fax 954 578 304TOMARES San Roque, s/n. Pol. El Manchón. Tel. 954 152 792 DOS HERMANAS Parque Cial. Zona Dos. Dr. Fleming, 45. Tel. 955 663 558 HERNÁNDEZ CARBALLO S.L.LORA DEL RíO Betis, s/n. Tel. 955 800 473 - Fax 955 801 439

SORIAPORCELANOSAPol. Las Casas-II. Calles A y J, p. 201. Tel. 975 233 228 - Fax 975 232 188

TERUELPORCELANOSAALCORISA Marqués de Lema, 76. Tel. 978 883 074 GARGÓNTERUEL Pol. La Paz, p. 143-144. Tel. 978 609 661

VALENCIAPORCELANOSAVALENCIA Colón, 50. Tel. 963 530 491 Colón, 56. Tel. 963 530 230 Prolongación Paseo Alameda, 51. Tel. 963 319 098 - Fax 963 306 722 ALBUIXECH Avda. Mediterráneo, 6, Pol. Ind. Mediterráneo. Tel. 961 417 227 GANDÍA Ctra. Gandía-Valencia, Km. 1. Pol. El Alcodar. Tel. 962 954 105SEDAVÍ Avda. Mediterráneo, s/n. Zona Comercial de Sedaví. Tel. 963 185 021 PATERNA Heron City, Pista Ademuz, 5-6. Tel. 963 160 348 - Fax 963 160 599

VALLADOLIDCANTALAPIEDRA VALLADOLID Don Sancho, 5. Tel. 983 217 925. Don Sancho, 9. Tel. 983 217 921 Ctra. de Soria A24, Km 5. Tel. 983 217 010 - Fax 983 200 921

ZAMORAPORCELANOSAZAMORA Avda. Cardenal Cisneros, s/n. Tel. 980 519 283/865 - Fax 980 529 404BENAVENTE Avda. Federico Silva, 124. Tel. 980 634 042 - Fax 980 633 766

ZARAGOZAPORCELANOSAZARAGOZA Autovía de Logroño, Km, 2. Tel. 976 403 131- Fax 976 300 094Pol. Ind. Plaza. Taormina, 2. Tel. 876 269 500 - Fax 876 269 388

INTERNATIONAL

ALBANIA TiranaALGERIA OranARGENTINA Buenos AiresAUSTRALIA Adelaide/ Brisbane/ Buddina/ Launceston/ Melbourne/ Newcastle West/ Perth/ Sydney/ VictoriaAUSTRIA Graz/ Linz/ SalzburgAZERBAIJAN BakuBAHRAIN Manamah

BELGIUM Heist-op-den-bergBERMUDA PembrokeBOLIVIA Santa CruzBOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA CitlukBRAZIL ParanaBULGARIA Petric/ SofiaBYELORUSSIA Homel/ MinskCHANNEL ISLANDS JerseyCHILE Santiago de ChileCHINA Fuzhou/ Guangzhou/ Hong Kong/ Shanghai/ ShenzhenCYPRUS LimassolCAMEROON DoualaCANADA Mississauga/ Moncton/ Montreal/ VancouverCOLOMBIA CaliCONGO REPUBLIC KinshasaCOSTA RICA San JoséCROATIA Jankomir/ Split/ Zagreb/ DubrovnikCZECH REPUBLIC Liberec/ Prague/ BrnoDENMARK GlostrupDOMINICAN REPUBLIC Santo DomingoDUBAI Al-KaramaECUADOR Guayaquil/ QuitoEGYPT CairoEL SALVADOR San SalvadorESTONIA TallinnFRANCE Angers/ Ajaccio/ Aulnays-sous-Bois/ Avignon/ Bastia/ Besançon/ Blois/ Brest/ Bordeaux/ Cholet/ Coignières/ Colmar/ Dijon/ Strasbourg/ Flers/ La Baule/ La Roche-sur-Yon/ Le Mans/ Lille/ Lyon/ Lorient/ Marseilles/ Melun/ Mondeville/ Montigny/ Montpellier/ Mulhouse/ Nantes/ Nîmes/ Orleans/ Reims/ Rouen/ Toulouse/ Tours/ Valence/ VannesFRENCH GUIANA CayenneGEORGIA TbilisiGERMANY Aachen/ Aschaffenburg/ Bergisch-Fahrland/ Boffzen/ Bottrop/ Bruchsal/ Burgstädt/ Crailsheim/ Dortmund/ Elterlein/ Eningen/ Erkrath/ Frankfurt/ Fulda/ Gladbach/ Görlitz/ Greiz/ Hamburg/ Ilsfeld/ Karlstadt/ Kehl/ Koblenz/ Kranichfeld/ Lichtenfelds/ Löbnitz/ Mainz/ Meschede/ Moordrecht/ Munich/ Münster/ Nordhausen/ Nuremberg/ Oberkotzau/ Radebeul/ Ronnenberg/ Schwabach/ Schwenningen/ Stuhr-Moordrecht/ Stuttgart/ Schramberg-Sulgen/ Völklinger/ ZwethauGHANA AccraGREECE Attica/ ThessalonicaGUATEMALA Guatemala CityHAITI Puerto PríncipeHONDURAS San Pedro Sula/ TegucigalpaHUNGARY BudapestICELAND ReykjavikINDIA New DelhiINDONESIA JakartaIRAN TeheranIRELAND Bangor/ Cork/ Dublin/ Navan/ Killarney/ WaterfordISRAEL HaifaITALY Andria/ Bologna/ Corsico/ Patermo/ Rocca Priora/ Rome/ SassuoloIVORY COAST AbidjanJAPAN OsakaJORDAN AmmanKAZAKHSTAN AlmatyKUWAIT SafatLATVIA Riga

LEBANON BeirutLITHUANIA AlytusMACEDONIA SkopjeMALAYSIA Kuala LumpurMALTA B’KaraMOROCCO Casablanca/ TangierMEXICO Cuautitlán IzcalliMOLDAVIA ChisinauMONTENEGRO REPUBLIC BarNETHERLANDS VenloNETHERLANDS ANTILLES Saint MartinNICARAGUA ManaguaNIGERIA LagosNORWAY Alesund/ Kristiansand/ Minde/ Mjondalen/ Moss/ Oslo/ Rolvsoya/ Sandnes/ Skien/ StavangerNEW ZEALAND AucklandPAKISTAN RawalpindiPANAMA Panamá CityPARAGUAY AsunciónPERU LimaPHILIPPINES Cebu/ ManilaPOLAND Bialystok/ Bielsko-Biala/ Bydgoszcz/ Czestochowa/ Gdansk/ Gliwice/ Gorzow/ Jelenia/ Góra/ Katowice/ Krakow/ Lodz/ Olsztyn/ Opole/ Szczecin/ Torun/ Warsaw / WroclawPORTUGAL Aveiro/ Melhada/ Porto/ ViseuPUERTO RICO San JuanQATARREUNION Saint DenisRUMANIA Bacau/ Bucharest/ Constanta/ Craiova/RUSSIA Ekaterinburg/ Kazan/ Krasnodar/ Moscow/ Novosibirsk/ Rostov-na-Donu/ Samara/ Petersburg/ Stavropol/ Tyumen/SAUDI ARABIA Jeddah/ RaidSENEGAL DakarSERBIA Belgrade/ Novi SadSINGAPORE SingaporeSLOVENIA Ljubljana/ MariborSOUTH AFRICA Durban/ Port ElizabethSOUTH KOREA SeoulSWEDEN Danderyd/ Enköping/ Hässleholm/ Malmö/ Mölndal/ SollentunaSWITZERLAND Basel / Bern/ Cressier/ Geneva/ Kriens/ Lanquart/ Losone/ Lucerne/ Lugano/ SchlierenTAIWAN KaohsiungTHAILAND BangkokTOGO LomeTUNISIA TunisTURKEY IstanbulUNITED KINGDOM Bristol/ Cardiff/ Colchester/ Crayford/ Croydon/ Doncaster/ Edinburgh/ Exeter/ Fulham/ Glasgow/ Leeds/ Leicester/ Liverpool/ Manchester/ New Watford/ Northampton/ Norwich/ Nottingham/ Old/ Watford/ Peterborough/ Reading/ Sheffield/ Solihull/ Southampton/ Truro/ WarringtonUKRAINE Kiev/ Kharkov/ Odessa/ DonetskURUGUAY MontevideoUSA Anaheim/ Cordoba/ Corona/ East Brunswick/ Farmingdale/ Huntington/ Miami/ Paramus/ Pompano Beach/ Port Jefferson Station/ Rockville/ Sacramento/ Saddle Brooke/ San José/ WestburyVENEZUELA CaracasWEST INDIES Guadeloupe/ Martinique/ Saint Bartholomew

At his home in Punta Cana he finds his refuge —a sunny paradise all year round, in which he is the supreme ambassador. In this awesome abode of Oscar de la Renta there are nineteen

domestic employees, always at hand to assist the many celebrities that visit the owner of this tropical luxury made reality. International models, noted politicians, American first ladies… All of them are guests of Oscar and his wife. “Each guest has a room absolutely distinct from the rest. We really love entertaining and showing our friends the beauties of the Dominican Republic, my country,” states De la Renta. With a very elegant combination of ceramic and marble elements, he has built a house overlooking the sea on all sides, from verandas, terraces and drawing rooms. Lighting is another of the house’s strengths, since its

owners have alternated very sunny areas with others where a soft and fresh twilight prevails. An emotional ambassador of his country, an influential fashion designer, Oscar de la Renta loves to sit at home and hum songs. There is always a dance band after supper. All guests dance, and the one who gets the most pleasure is Oscar, who feels the music in his feet and heart. “Walking my dogs, playing domino, dancing merengue and enjoying friends” are the most relaxing things for him, in between his intense entrepreneurial activity and the two seasons of fashion shows. Where does he find all this energy? “In this house, where so much of my character dwells.” /

Oscar de la Renta

His name is synonymous with good taste and fi nesse. He is a designer, entrepreneur, gentleman, and a Dominican to the core. Today he shows us his beautiful house, a getaway where some of the most powerful people in the world have been invited.

AT THE HOME OF66

lifestyle

Text: ALEJANDRA ORTUZAR Photos: JEAN-FABIEN DE SELVE

ABOVE: The Caribbean Sea,

viewed from one

of the beautiful terraces of

the mansion

ABOVE: Two of the verandas,

combining ceramic flooring

with marble coverings

RIGHT: One of the guest rooms

PORCELANOSA Grupohttp://www.porcelanosa.com