beachfront bohemia: baranowitz + kronenberg captures colorful island culture at the W ibiza hotel

off the beaten track and on the palm-fringed beachfront of ibiza’s santa eulalia, the much-anticipated W ibiza hotel has opened its doors to guests. the hotel building — which dates back to the 1980s — has been transformed by international architecture firm baranowitz + kronenberg into a vibrant destination that pays homage to the island’s bohemian heritage. comprising 162 guest rooms and suites, the hotel boasts a rooftop swimming pool and a picturesque sunset bar that presents spectacular views of the mediterranean sea. an eclectic mix of furnishings and curated street art and lighting, combined with subtle references to the past, makes for a truly unique experience.

prior to its opening, designboom spoke with irene kronenberg and alon baranowitz, co-founders of baranowitz + kronenberg who shared the inspiration behind their design for W ibiza hotel and their journey with the lifestyle brand.

designboom (DB): what aspects of ibiza’s culture and history did you want to capture in the hotel’s design? 

baranowitz + kronenberg (B+K): W ibiza infuses historical and social touches of the white island into every design detail, resulting in a refreshing simplicity in the hotel’s design, expressed by a minimum of means: color, sun and shade. the engaging design of the 162 guest rooms and suites have a perfect balance between natural and locally manufactured materials, and an avant-garde decoration with a color palette that goes from golden sand to deep blue.

island myths and stories are also thoughtfully woven into the experience by spanish designer, mariana gonzalez eme. the theme of tanit, the protector goddess of ibiza, is seen in wall-murals, as well as embroidery on the bed pillows. tables feature ancient paintings inspired by those found in ibiza’s caves, adding meaningful destination details to the rooms’ design.

B+K (continued): colorful jackson pollock-inspired headboards represent the island’s free spirit, and the deep blue curtains complement the jewel colors of the ocean, inviting guests onto the room’s terrace to enjoy the mediterranean horizon. the WET deck reflects the shape of the building up to guests on their balconies. from the pool, guests enjoy a contrasting perspective of the hotel’s distinctive canopies, from yellow to blue, inspired by the natural tones of the island’s sunset, the mountains and the sea. from day to night, guests and locals can relax on the luxurious loungers, listen to chilled beats, enjoy cold cocktails as well as warm service.

DB: how did the existing site inform your translation and transformation of the space?

B+K: challenged by a beachfront balearic structure from of the 80s, we had to turn it upside down in order for it to become worthy of a social hub that connects with the crowd, sets the scene and sparks the imagination.

while keeping the masses of the existing building intact, we proposed a new balance between interior and exterior that entices the town to enter and make the public spaces part of their daily life. to that end, we dramatically changed this section of the building in pursuit of uninterrupted spaces and views from the drop-off in front of the main entrance out into the sea. this natural flow of energies prevails all over. it serves as an unequivocal desire to bring people together and engage with nature. it resonates perfectly with the sense of place and fits perfectly with the local culture. we received an introverted edifice, a white elephant of sorts and turned it into an invigorating experience.

DB: in what ways does the hotel’s design allow guests connect to the bohemian heritage of the island? 

B+K: the hotel embraces and enhances the relaxed pace and cosmopolitan attitude of santa eulalia, resulting in a vibrant escape injected with the playful charm of ibiza. the carefully selected furnishings, expertly curated street art and spectacular and strategic lighting, combined with the subtle references to the island’s iconic past, makes for a truly unique experience. it was important to us to capture the spirit of ibiza throughout this project – laid back, colorful, simple, transparent, engaging and sun soaked – notions which flow through the public and private spaces of the hotel.

B+K (continued): ‘flower power’ was the leading theme for our design strategy which we followed through the resort and with which we rendered the different venues a bold and holistic free-spirit charm. this soft power mind set is amplified through spatial arrangement of spaces, choice of materials and finishes. ‘effortless’ is a key notion, a second nature to our design which facilitated to achieve an engaging simplicity expressed by a minimum of means: color, sun and shade. spontaneous, bespoke, insightful with an immersive memorable guest experience are the main notions which can best define W ibiza.

DB: you’ve worked with W hotels before — how rewarding have these collaborations been with them?

B+K: W is a leading lifestyle brand born out of the chaos and culture of new york city. it aims at fueling a lust for life, always in the pursuit of the next and the new. when too much is not enough, W asks for more…W has a very bold and original mindset, always connected and on the lookout for breaking new grounds while celebrating the passions of its target audience.

working on Ws is always a great opportunity to explore new ways of experiencing hospitality. as with all of our projects, and even more so with a brand that keeps coming back to us, we start from scratch, using a clean slate and allow the essence of place to guide us through. we learn a lot through this journey which was an extremely rewarding process: new cultures, history, traditions, people and places. these are the ingredients of our design which we use towards a new W.