Twelfth floor and penthouse. Jean Nouvel.

On the twelfth floor, the French architect has designed twelve suites where two names are of particular importance to the concept and design: the photographers Nobuyoshi Araki and Roland Fleischer. As the original idea is that this floor be devoted to pleasure, the French architect has decided to use the walls to display the work of these two photographers, who play with interesting images of the human body and nature. Araki’s photographs, which cover the rooms on the western side of the hotel, are notable for their expressive force. Those by Fleischer, which are completely abstract, cover the eastern wing. The larger suites have a guest room boasting views of Madrid, with a floor-to-ceiling glass wall looking onto the street. All the rooms feature a system of sliding panels with rails on the floor and the ceiling to allow guests to organise the space as they wish. In fact, the most individual feature of the rooms is that the clients themselves can act as the architects, reorganising the area to suit their own tastes. Perhaps you would like a large bathroom or a spacious living area. The panels make all this possible.

The terrace and bar prevail on the hotel’s penthouse floor, as do a special small pool and spa. But there is no doubt that this floor’s true standout is its impressive views of Madrid. Nouvel has also designed a glass walkway that connects the different spaces, although it is not recommended for vertigo sufferers! A semi-circle with a glass floor, it reveals the whole façade of the hotel right down to the ground. Guests can enjoy the changes in colours provided by the awnings and the poem Liberté by Paul Éluard, which covers the façade in various languages.