Time passes and there are elements of architecture that continue to absorb attention and spirit. Arches, vaulted spaces, porticoed galleries… in front of them or behind them, harmony abounds. The line of continuity of the curve, the rhythmic sequence of arches, the loggia as an anteroom to the interior or exterior. They make up what some call patterns of universal harmony. Just like the patios, open to the sky although withdrawn into themselves, connecting the life around them.
It is well seen in the main patio of the new Palau Fugit hotel, in the Barri Vell of Girona, located in a baroque stately mansion from the 18th century, the Casa Heras de Puig. Presiding over the venue, all silence and chirping birds, next to the swimming pool stands the sculptural fountain of almost 3 meters imagined by the artist Frederic Amat. Seven stacked ceramic pieces recreate sea urchin skeletons. The artist says that it was a profound intuition that he had when entering the courtyard for the first time, made reality in the Workshops of the Llorenç Artigas Foundation in Gallifa.
The hotel treasures the Font de Garotes as the new jewel of the palace. At the same time, it reminds us that we were walking near the Costa Brava and when, with our feet in the water between rocks, we caught hedgehogs with our hands without getting pricked.
The building has been completely rehabilitated for its new use by the architectural studio Isern Associats, led by Daniel Isern. “The patios (two historic, one new) – he points out – are the authentic elements that define it. And they generate a gradual transition between the more public environment of the first reception, with its wide flattened arch and stone staircase, to the most private: the landscaped interior as a paradise of tranquility.” For Isern, the greatest achievement has been to preserve the atmosphere of uniqueness typical of this type of palace. In addition to the design of new stairs, an architectural element that he is passionate about.
The guest will travel under other vaults. In the rooms on the main floor, the original ones give elegance to the marble in the bathroom. At entrances, the replicated ones highlight shelter and hide facilities. The interior design project has been carried out by The Creative Team, with contrast prevailing in the historical areas of the hotel. Dense chromatic surfaces cover eclectic furnishings with fluid lines and luxurious textures. And the arch reappears again, in old niches or in brand new headboards.
