June 2013
Transport &
Technology special
Strap yourself in for our
jet-propelled new issue.
Soft landing guaranteed
Le Meridien
Le Méridien Barcelona
The entrance to the hotel, featuring Arrival Artwork by Joan Fontcuberta, a Barcelona-based photographer, fine art lecturer and LM100™ member
Le Méridien Hub – an innovative lobby space, designed as a social gathering area for creative minds
'Gaudí Soupe', by Catalan sculptor Jaume Amigó. The artwork, created for Le Méridien Barcelona, is a tribute to the constructive versatility of Gaudí. Measuring 25 meters long, it is composed of 141 iron plates, lined with paper
The Mediterranean Suite at the Le Méridien Barcelona
On the wall is 'King' from the ‘King and Queen’ series, by Chinese artist Chen Wenbo, based on the simple movement of a droplet falling into a pool of liquid
Behind the reception desk is 'Queen' from ‘King and Queen’ series, by Chinese artist Chen Wenbo. Displayed on the wall beside the desk is Unlock Art™ keycard artwork
The entrance to the hotel, featuring Arrival Artwork by Joan Fontcuberta, a Barcelona-based photographer, fine art lecturer and LM100™ member
shines 20 years on from its Olympic Games glory days. This is a city seemingly designed for the flâneur; the stately plane trees that line the wide avenues and boulevards perfectly compliment the grandiose, 19th-century architecture. And, holding pride of place on La Rambla, is Le Méridien Barcelona, just a few metres from the heaving buzz and tapas bars of La Boquería market and a leisurely stroll from the gothic quarter and two Gaudí mansions on Passeig de Gràcia. The city’s rich past is cleverly reflected in the hotel’s décor with paintings by contemporary Catalan artist Jaume Amigó, carpets outlining an early map of Barcelona’s Ensanche city grid and frosted windows etched with Gaudí architecture. Thanks to the Unlock Art™ programme, guests’ room keys grant them free access to the Richard Meier-designed Barcelona Museum of Contemporary
Art (MACBA), home to works by the likes of Picasso, Pollock,
and Warhol.
www.lemeridienbarcelona.com
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About Le Méridien
When Starwood Hotels acquired Le Méridien in 2005, it immediately set about injecting the group’s French heritage with a jolt of cultural modernity. With more than 100 properties in 50 countries worldwide, the project was ambitious, but with creative input from Le Méridien’s cultural curator Jérôme Sans, the result is an intelligent synthesis of individually distinct properties within their respective cultural settings. Le Méridien Hotels & Resorts have been transformed into staging areas for contemporary artworks by both established and up-and-coming artists and through partnerships with local cultural institutions, the group has forged a place for itself at the core of the art world. Via the Unlock Art™ programme, guests’ key cards designed by LM100™ members are literally a complimentary ticket to a city’s leading art forums. By any measure, the group’s elevation of the quotidian hotel experience into a cultural one is inspirational.
