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A sea in the middle of Barcelona. The experiential journey of Noxe, Barcelona’s latest food and club destination
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NOXE is an experiential journey through the city of Barcelona. A Japanese restaurant, cocktail bar and nightclub destination on the twenty-sixth floor of the W Hotel in the capital of Catalonia, NOXE is a place where the gastronomic and sensory experience meets the glamour and high-end hospitality of W Hotel. The brand and interior vision of the existing sky hotel have been entrusted to the creative design studio Blacksheep, which has largely drawn from the Spanish context and territory. The designers undertook the brand and F&B strategy, naming and experience design of the interiors and multiple spaces creating an atmospheric and interchangeable hospitality environment high above the city.
NOXE, W Hotel, Barcelona, Spain, Blacksheep
Image copyright: @Blacksheep
NOXE, W Hotel, Barcelona, Spain, Blacksheep
Image copyright: @Blacksheep
NOXE, an abstract of ‘noche’ and meaning 'night' is inspired by the moon's phases, emphasizing the lifestyle destination with the idea that ‘x marks the spot’ and fully embracing the brand proposition: ‘Feel More.’ The brands bold positioning of ‘Hyper Sessions’ hero's the transformative nature of the sensorial experiences set from sunset to dawn and the energy of an exclusive party, whilst the visual identity is grounded in the surrounding context of the ocean’s rhythm, the music’s tempo and the clubbers’ energy. The waves become and thus translate into oscillating sounds that juxtapose harmony and dynamism to - again - ‘Feel More’.
The interiors are inspired by the Latin concept of Mari Medi Terra, “sea in the middle of the land”. In fact, this expression translates almost literally into the interiors, which evoke the rawness with which the ocean breaks against the mountains and urban landscapes crowning the profile of the city. The same harshness of the ocean becomes a real experience for guests, who are accompanied to touch with their hands the layers of materials, the expressive shades and the sculptural design that intertwine and perfectly connect each space in a unicum.
Inspiration, NOXE, W Hotel, Barcelona, Spain, Blacksheep
Image copyright: @Blacksheep
Coasters, NOXE, W Hotel, Barcelona, Spain, Blacksheep
Image copyright: @Blacksheep
Just like the sea water, the shape of the space designed and conceptualized by Blacksheep is sinuous and soft. The design language can be defined as fluid, articulating a journey through the three environments of the restaurant, cocktail bar and nightclub. A key aspect in the construction of such a journey was to raise the floor level of the building so as to offer guests an open view, not obstructed by external elements. The result is a subtle division between different zones, each offering different and always unique experiences.
The itinerary consists of a series of consecutive steps: the quiet landing from the hotel elevator, the movement of attraction of the venue and, later, of the restaurant and lounge. The culmination and finishing point of the experience is the nightclub, with its fast pace and energy. At this point, the immersion in the depths of the sea is absolute. It is a sea of design, represented by the deep blue of the water and the fiery textures of the mountain. There are also flora and fauna, given by the vibrant tones and the evocative colors of the chimeric underwater forms, and the transparency and movement of water in mesh and reflective materials.