The ‘Hotel Hábitat València’ installation is sure to be stunning, with rooms designed using exhibitors’ products, a ‘great hall’ and reception area, a library, a spa and swimming pools zone, a bar and a conference wing.
Héctor Ruiz has devised a space that blends the best of Spain’s interiors industry with a strong focus on sustainability, using thousands of cardboard boxes, repurposed particleboard panels, and walls and furniture made from recycled material and Valencian clay.
Valencia, 17 July 2024.- Feria Hábitat València’s main focus for this September’s macro-event is the hotel industry and the contract sector. And, following an agreement signed off with the Instituto Tecnológico Hotelero (ITH, Hotel Technology Institute) to publicise the event to the entire hotel sector, Hábitat will boast the perfect stage for showing everything the Spanish interiors industry can do for the contract market: the ‘Hotel Hábitat València’.
This is an unprecedented installation that promises to be stunning. Conceived by one of the top creatives of the moment, architect Héctor Ruiz-Velázquez, originally from Puerto Rico and now with his own studios in Madrid and Dubai, the space will take up more than 500 square metres and feature different types of room typically found in contemporary hotels.
A large entrance ‘Hall’ with curved, sinuous lines will lead to a semi-spherical reception area that will serve as a link to the various settings visitors will be able to see. On the left, for example, there will be up to six hotel bedrooms, each styled by a different designer to have a different look and feel, and all furnished entirely with items being shown by Hábitat and Textilhogar exhibitors.
On the right, beyond a space arranged as a library, a large ‘outdoor’ space will open up. Conceived as a spa zone it will include, amongst other things, several tanks and aquatic areas and will also feature a bar or restaurant. The far end of the ‘Hotel Hábitat València’ will house the large presentation zone, which has been designed as a huge circular space and is where all the talks and presentations on the lecture programme arranged by the ITH will be given. Speakers include eminent specifiers and other professionals from the contract sector, plus representatives of today’s biggest hotel chains.
A sustainable space with organic shapes
As Héctor Ruiz-Velázquez himself explains, “in a world dominated by the functional and by homogeneity, authenticity has become a key quality, especially in hotel design. Modern travellers want more than just functional accommodation, they crave unique experiences that stimulate their senses and trigger genuine emotions. ‘Hotel Hábitat València’ addresses this demand with spaces that promote a deep connection with the cultural and natural environment”.
Ruiz-Velázquez has designed a space that seeks to create “the most authentic connection with nature” through “colours, shapes and textures”, delivering an enhanced visual and tactile experience. Taking its inspiration from the Spanish landscape and dynamics, especially Valencia and the Albufera, the design of this hotel uses a colour palette that includes shades of red, blue, orange and purple, evoking the colours of sundown and of the water in this beautiful area. These colours are not only visually striking but also reflect values such as tranquillity, trust, warmth, passion and energy.
The installation is a tribute to the Spanish temperament and to the country’s rich tradition and is evident in pieces of furniture that, whilst combining innovation, sensitivity and a competitive outlook, are impregnated with character and creativity. Authenticity in the design has been achieved by his use of local materials, his interpretation of traditional architecture and the way he has alluded to local history, nature and culture.
“Hotel Hábitat València’ is more than a display, it is an allegory of Spain’s diversity and richness, designed to stimulate visitors’ senses through sight, touch, sound, smells and flavours. By exploring eclectic perspectives and historical narratives, the installation celebrates plurality and innovation in design, embracing every aspect of diversity and authenticity”, the designer explains.
The best of Spain’s interiors industry for the contract sector
For his part, Feria Hábitat València director Daniel Marco feels that this installation “will not just be one of the upcoming fair’s major attractions” but will also “demonstrate the Spanish interiors industry’s potential in the contract market and, most especially, in the hotel sector”. On this topic, Marco highlighted the fact that it is the exhibitors themselves that will be providing all the furniture and fittings for this unique hotel space.
Héctor Ruiz, designer of the moment
Studio Ruiz Velázquez is an architecture and interior design practice that goes beyond the discipline of undertaking innovative commercial, private and public projects. The company operates to unique values that are intimately linked to its founder’s professional career.
This aspect of the practice means that it has its very own way of conceptualizing space and, also, extensive experience of the reality of the international market it targets with every project. The company’s philosophy seeks to create a rather unconventional spatial reality based on tried-and-tested habitability criteria, with value judgements centred on the concept of usability and communication.
Over the last 28 years it has pioneered approaching the medium of architecture as a communications channel, through a broad range of private and commercial commissions, public infrastructure works, urban projects, offices, homes, corporate identities and product designs.
Based in Madrid and Dubai, the practice has gained a great international reputation, with projects undertaken by it published in prestigious magazines and books all over the world.
A unique offering drawing an international audience
From 30th September to 3rd October, Feria Valencia will be hosting the leading fairs for the furniture, lighting, decorating, home textiles and kitchen equipment trades. Feria Hábitat València, Textilhogar Home Textiles Premium y Espacio Cocina SICI constitute the foremost showcase for the home and contract sectors – a large-scale event that draws large numbers of both Spanish and international visitors. The highly successful formula comprises more than 90,000 square metres of exhibition space, with 48,000 professionals visiting from 70 countries.
