Palace Case Study

La Cupula houses the hotels cocktail bar and all day-dining restaurant, and was originally designed in 1912 by Eduardo Ferrés I Puig and executed by master glaziers Maumejean.

Specialists Urcotex spent 155 working days carefully removing, cleaning, restoring and re-mounting around 2,000 pieces of stained glass.

This included careful transport to glass restorer Bonett’s workshop where matching colours and materials were used where necessary.

Whilst conserving its heritage features, was taken to minimize the impact of new materials. We completed a carbon analysis of the new design and original materials were conserved where possible. By restoring materials instead of replacing them, 14% of embodied carbon emissions from the public spaces were avoided. Embodied carbon is carbon emissions from the extraction, manufacture and transport of materials and globally this accounts for around a third of a building’s lifetime carbon emissions.

Our renovation has restored marble floors that were discovered underneath layers flooring. In the guestrooms we have retained as much plaster moulding and mirrors as possible, whilst the light pink marble in the bathroom vanities and flooring has been retained and melded into the new design by Lázaro Rosa Violán. Little details have been considered, such as refurbishment of the signature metal room number signs outside each door. Biophilic elements in the design inspired by the neighbouring Real Jardín Botánico de Madrid connect guests to the calmness of nature.

Each material proposed was carefully reviewed, with 64% of products manufactured within Spain, supporting the local economy and reducing travel carbon emissions.

100% of suppliers used for the guestroom renovations have an environmental management system or environmental product certification in line with Archer’s Sustainability Framework.

Furniture and equipment still in good condition have been reused by third party projects, with the hotel’s charitable partners given primary choice. These include Ronald McDonald Foundation, SOS Children’s Villages, Ora et Labora and Hogar de Nazaret who received over €40k worth of furniture such as beds, lamps, sofas, tables and televisions to help children in need. In total, approximately 5-10% of furniture and smaller operating goods were donated.

Large hotel furniture can be challenging to donate as they also require large rooms, therefore following our waste hierarchy, furniture was reused by other hotels, hostels and lodgings in Spain where possible, with a small remainder being taken away for waste processing.

Our furniture reuse strategy dramatically reduced the amount going to waste and even accounting for warehouse and management costs, saved €28k versus immediate disposal, demonstrating combined financial, environmental and social benefits.

To prepare the building for the future and towards its pathway to net zero carbon, water and energy efficient solutions have been implemented to reduce consumption.

A 26% reduction in annual energy consumption and a 21% reduction in operational carbon emissions is expected versus a 2019 baseline. Key features include:

1. 1. new ventilation, heating and cooling equipment
2. 2. more efficient bathroom fittings
3. 3. smart room controls to reduce consumption
4. 4. energy efficient lifts
5. 5. new lighting systems with LEDs.

We will continue to monitor energy and water consumption to verify whether these anticipated savings are realised.