Soak up Barcelona vistas from the redesigned Grand Hotel Central's rooftop pool
Grand Hotel Central, designed by Sagrada, opens its doors in the heart of Barcelona’s old town

Although Barcelona is mostly famed for the organic, ornamental architecture of Catalan Modernisme, a countermovement called Noucentisme also emerged in the early 20th century, instead championing values of reason, order and clarity. In contrast with the bohemian wave of Modernisme pioneered by Gaudí and his peers, the Noucentista style rejected indulgently decorative aesthetics in favour of a classicist approach to design that was rational and sober.
Tour the Grand Hotel Central, Barcelona
View from Grand Hotel Central’s rooftop
This was the style that appealed most to Francesc Cambó, a wealthy politician and philanthropist who commissioned the architect Adolf Florensa to design a seven-storey building on Barcelona’s Via Laietana in 1926. Today, it’s the Grand Hotel Central, which London-based studio Sagrada has redesigned for its opening under new ownership this summer – and the original owner’s residence and private rooftop garden remain at the top.
Grand Hotel Central’s Pergola rooftop restaurant
Grand Hotel Central’s rooftop pool
Believed to have been Barcelona’s first building with a lift, it’s also among the very few in the city influenced by the Chicago School of Architecture. Sagrada’s director, Juan Álvarez says he sees this in elements like the simplicity of the facade (unlike heavily decorated facades of Modernista buildings) featuring multiple wide windows in a grid arrangement.
Grand Hotel Central Deluxe Bedroom
Grand Hotel Central Deluxe Bedroom
Grand Hotel Central Deluxe Bedroom
The designers at Sagrada – known for their work on London’s Arts Club and the St Regis Hotel in Venice – wanted to evoke a flavour of the Noucentista principles of clean lines and understated colours to their custom-made decoration for the Barcelona property’s 147 bedrooms. A wall made of long, narrow timber slats divides the room, while a repeated vertical pattern is also found in the headboard, consisting of upholstered panels – some blush pink, others chalky green – set within a wooden frame.
Grand Hotel Central Superior Bedroom
Grand Hotel Central Superior Bedroom
But rather than submitting entirely to the sobriety of Noucentisme, Alvarez says his team also wanted to bring a touch of fun to the space, with the curved, organic shapes of the coffee table, chaise longue and wooden minibar unit making a break from the straight lines. Cambó’s gardens inspired the patterns embroidered into the cushions and the sides of leather-seated hexagonal stools.
The rugs feature abstract, geometric patterns, while other designs are inspired by original pieces from Cambó’s home, such as the wooden boiserie in the walls, the cornices in the ceiling and the double-doored, fold-out mirrors. There are also talks of opening the Cambó residence and garden to the public - but in the meantime, there’s a new rooftop bar right by them, while the family’s original grand library is used for literary events.
Grand Hotel Central Lobby
Grand Hotel Central Lobby
Grand Hotel Central Lobby
Grand Hotel Central is located at Via Laietana, 30, Barcelona, grandhotelcentral.com
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Agnish Ray is a travel and culture writer based in Madrid. Aside from Wallpaper*, he covers Spain for publications like The Guardian, The Times, The Telegraph, Financial Times, Conde Nast Traveller, Sleeper, Elephant, Kinfolk and others. Agnish has also worked as a strategist in the arts sector and as an adjunct professor at IE School of Architecture and Design in Spain.
-
Wallpaper* checks in at Rosewood Miyakojima: ‘Japan, but not as most people know it’
Rosewood Miyakojima offers a smooth balance of intuitive Japanese ‘omotenashi’ fused with Rosewood’s luxury edge
-
Thrilling, demanding, grotesque and theatrical: what to see at Berlin Gallery Weekend
Berlin Gallery Weekend is back for 2025, and with over 50 galleries taking part, there's lots to see
-
A first look inside the new Oxford Street Ikea. Spoiler: blue bags and meatballs are included
The new Oxford Street Ikea opens tomorrow (1 May), giving Londoners access to the Swedish furniture brand right in the heart of the city
-
Sun-soaked European destinations to visit in spring
Dreaming of Florentine palazzos and Greek islands now that the weather is starting to turn? Check into one of these beautiful European hotels and holiday homes
-
Esperit Roca is a restaurant of delicious brutalism and six-course desserts
In Girona, the Roca brothers dish up daring, sensory cuisine amid a 19th-century fortress reimagined by Andreu Carulla Studio
-
Must-visit cinemas with award-worthy design
There’s more magic to the movies at these design-led cinemas, from Busan Cinema Centre’s ‘flying’ roof to The Gem Cinema Jaipur’s art deco allure
-
‘I explored Benidorm with an open mind’: the famous Spanish seaside town is captured in a new photo book
From neon lights to pink sunburns, photographer Rob Ball turns his lens on Benidorm to see what remains of a ‘pan-European holiday utopia’
-
Wallpaper* checks in at Brach Madrid: a hotel of love and passion
Brach Madrid, part of Evok Collection, is a charming city-centre bolthole designed by Philippe Starck
-
2025 getaways: where Wallpaper* editors will be travelling to this year
From the Japanese art islands of Naoshima and Teshima to the Malaysian tropical paradise of Langkawi, here’s where Wallpaper* editors plan to travel to in 2025
-
The most whimsical hotel Christmas trees around the world
We round up the best hotel Christmas tree collaborations of the year, from an abstract take in Madrid to a heritage-rooted installation in Amsterdam
-
The world’s best new hotels that we’re loving without reservation
Explore the best new openings in the world, from Orient Express’ La Dolce Vita train and first-ever hotel to Capella’s debut in Taipei