Marqués de Riscal Hotel

Spain

Located in the picturesque town of Elciego, in the heart of Rioja Alavesa, the Marqués de Riscal hotel has become an icon of contemporary architecture and a symbol of the fusion between wine tradition and innovation. This unique building is part of the ‘City of Wine’, an ambitious project promoted by the prestigious Marqués de Riscal winery with the aim of bringing visitors closer to the world of wine from a cultural, sensory and technological perspective.

The design was commissioned to the architect Frank Gehry, known for his sculptural and groundbreaking style. To materialise his vision, IDOM took on the challenge of developing all the engineering for the project, working closely with Gehry and his team to transform his artistic language into a technical and functional reality.

Our work included structural, installation and detail engineering, as well as the integral technical coordination of the project. The Marqués de Riscal hotel, supported by three large columns, seems to float above the ground, wrapped in sheets of titanium in shades of pink, gold and silver that evoke the nuances of wine and the identity of the winery. Resolving the complex geometry of these forms required innovative solutions, advanced modelling tools and extremely precise execution, both on site and in the design phase.

The complex not only houses a luxury hotel with 43 unique rooms, but also a wine therapy spa, a wine museum, gourmet restaurants and a wine research and training centre. Our intervention was key to integrating all these spaces into a harmonious, efficient and sustainable whole, always respecting the artistic vision of the project.

For us, the Marqués de Riscal hotel represents a milestone in our trajectory and an example of how engineering and architecture can come together to create spaces that transcend their function and become cultural, technological and tourist references.

Architecture : Building Physics : Design : Hospitality : Wind