Among their other functions, both utilitarian and aesthetic, large-scale wallcoverings create truly immersive environments. Spanish architects Boconni Projects recognised the potential of Glamora’s wallcoverings to create an exotic parallel universe when it refurbished the lower ground-floor breakfast room at Valencia’s landmark Meliá Plaza Hotel. In this subterranean space reminiscent of the streamlined lower deck of an Art Deco ocean liner, Juan Boconni, CEO of Boconni Projects, and his team brought the outdoors in, lining its walls and ceiling with Glamora’s Exotic design, which features oversized, luxuriant palm fronds and other lush vegetation that you might find in a conservatory.
According to the architects, the scheme conflates two moods: ‘It’s inspired both by a yearning for a modern, contemporary lifestyle on the one hand and a desire to be at one with nature on the other,’ says Juan Boconni.
The wallcovering helps to evoke the interwar era since restaurants in the Art Deco style were typically emblazoned with murals depicting tropical motifs associated with travel to exotic destinations.
Some foliage is depicted in silhouette, creating a strong, graphic effect. Alternatively, semi-transparent palm fronds overlap, creating a decorative cross-hatching effect. These transparent forms also suggest light penetrating a jungle, as does indirect lighting at ceiling height. A sense of being immersed in nature is accentuated by walls and columns painted a soft, chalky sage green, chairs in velvety moss green and oak flooring and tables.
The wallcoverings also act as subtle wayfinding device, luring guests into the space: ‘It lines the walls of the entrance to the room, and so attracts guests inside and, ultimately, to the buffet area,’ concludes Juan Boconni.
