The art and architecture curators Christian Bourdais and Eva Albarran have chosen the Parque de los Puertos de Beceite in Matarraña, a region of forgotten Teruel, to build the “first collection of architecture in Europe”. An artistic, urban and hotel project baptized as Solo Houses that aims to “create a very special experience in a unique landscape, a destination in itself,” says Bourdais in an interview with Evasión.
In an area of 100 hectares, this project promises to build a luxury hotel and up to fifteen exclusive mansions in an environment that its promoters consider unique. Christian Bourdais explains that “Matarraña is an authentic area with an incredible landscape, quite well connected and that projects of this format can be built”. Although it is in Teruel, Solo Houses has its sights set on good connections with Barcelona, Valencia, Zaragoza or even Madrid.
Pezo Von Ellrichshausen (Chile), Ofce KGDVS (Belgium), Barozzi /Veiga (Barcelona), TNA (Japan), Tatiana Bilbao (Mexico) are some of the architects chosen by Solo Houses to create this collection of homes whose architecture is the key of the experience: “What I am looking for is that when you are inside the house you feel a unique experience thanks to the spaces, the play of natural light at a certain time and the environment”. In Bourdais’s opinion, these architects are “the future Pritzker prize winners for architecture”.
Started in 2011 and with an initial budget of 24 million euros, Solo Houses currently has two properties built. Solo Pezo, by Mauricio Pezo and Sofia von Ellrichshausen, is a viewpoint over the Matarraña landscape that stands out for its “sculptural, unitary and monolithic form that rests on a blind podium”, explains the project. And Solo Office, by Kersten Geers and David van Severen, is a ring-shaped structure that invites you to take a covered walk between the nature reserve and the inner courtyard; “a house without limits with the surrounding nature, a place of life crossed by the landscape”, says Solo Houses. Both properties are available for rent, the price is between 450 and 900 euros depending on the house and season, and “they are reserved almost all year round” says Bourdais. The clientele is international.
The hotel, meanwhile, has been designed by Chilean architect Smiljan Radic and is the centerpiece of the Solo community. Through a contemporary reinterpretation of the hotel industry, this architect wants to give importance to the idea of a differentiated architectural experience accompanied by a cultural proposal and exclusive activities that combine art, cinema, nature, sports and gastronomy. Christian Bourdais reveals to this medium that he is in talks with a Spanish hotel group to provide service to this hotel and the fifteen houses in the project. The price per room will reach 250 euros.
Accompanied by this architecture and the strength of the Matarraña landscape, Christian Bourdais and Eva Albarran have completed their work with the collaboration of Bas Smets, an internationally renowned Belgian landscape architect, who has designed the natural environment that covers the extension of Solo Houses . With Ulrich Obrist, a renowned figure in the world of contemporary art, who has carried out the cultural program and Art and Architecture tour of this project. And with a French film distributor for the production of film cycles. “Only for the cultural and artistic offer is the visit justified,” says Bourdais.
The Solo Houses project firmly believes that high-end cultural tourism is a promising market and that its proposal is situated in a market that combines exclusivity and accessibility: “High-end cultural tourism and the search for an unforgettable experience attract a variety in search of the best destination”. Christian explains that it is a redefinition that involves betting on the experience rather than the material. “Aficionados of stays that combine avant-garde cultural program and hotel pleasures lend themselves to the Solo experience to live unique moments,” he adds.