Diabla in the guest room of ARCOmadrid x Burr Architecture Studio
15 March, 2024
Our creative and restless lifestyle represented Gandia Blasco Group from March 6-10 at ARCOmadrid. The design poufs COSTURAS, by Teresa Sapey + Partners, and SAIL, by Héctor Serrano, were chosen to equip the Guest Lounge project, signed by the Madrid studio Burr, recognized for its experimental architecture projects.
This ephemeral space combined the philosophy of the fair with the function of a place of relaxation, networking and gastronomy. The Guest Lounge also reflected the values of the Leading Brands of Spain Forum (FMRE), one of the driving forces behind the project, through the designs of associated brands such as Diabla, an example of quality, innovation and contemporaneity.
With the sea as a common theme, this playful, transgressive and reflective environment invited visitors to think about how they engage with their surroundings. Based on concepts such as the shore and the tide, the Guest Lounge stood out for a slight slope of 2 degrees that generated a space of indefinition and instability that forced those who passed through it to adapt.
“This slight distortion of horizontality provokes a reflection on our fragility as a species and the inevitable changes in our environment, but also aims to foster a space of discovery, of play, in which there is always a certain sense of unreality.”
Estudio Burr
In the main room, just like on the shore at low tide, COSTURAS and SAIL poufs emerged as abstract objects and functioned as tools to sculpt the space, molding themselves according to the changing needs of the lounge and its users. Beyond their functionality, these poufs are symbols of an era in constant transformation, where flexibility, adaptability and connection to nature are key to building a more sustainable future.
After the call launched in 2023 by ARCOmadrid together with FMRE and AD magazine, the jury decided in favor of the project presented by Burr, founded by Elena Fuertes, Ramón Martínez, Álvaro Molins and Jorge Sobejano. Amanda Bouzada and Jesús Meseguer are currently part of the team.
Alejandra Gandía-Blasco, creative and communication director of Gandia Blasco Group, was part of the panel that evaluated the proposals submitted to this call for projects. The jury was also made up of Maribel López, director of ARCOmadrid; Silvia Ortiz, from Travesía Cuatro gallery and member of the ARCOmadrid Organizing Committee; Pedro Vargas, director of FMRE Projects; Maite Sebastiá, director of AD magazine; and Ricardo Fernández, architect of Estudio DIIR and author of the winning project for the Guest Lounge ARCOmadrid 2023.
It is not the first time that Diabla, as a brand closely related to contemporary art, is present at ARCOmadrid. Having the opportunity to participate in one of the most important events in the contemporary art calendar is, for us, an extraordinary opportunity to continue to establish links between design and art and explore new forms of creation from a platform of cultural exchange and knowledge consolidated nationally and internationally.
