Sandra Tarruella designs Salt restaurant, inspired by Barceloneta’s culture with a warm, natural and immersive aesthetic

Located within the iconic W Barcelona Hotel, the newly conceived Salt restaurant emerges as a dialogue between design, place, and culture. Conceived by Sandra Tarruella Interioristas, with the collaboration of Olga Pajares, the project draws inspiration from Barceloneta’s seafaring soul, interpreting it through a language that is warm, organic, and enveloping.

The complexity of the brief — a space that transitions from breakfast venue to lunch and event restaurant — called for a flexible, fluid approach. Tarruella responded by articulating the interiors with sculptural bars that rise organically from continuous flooring, anchoring the space without disrupting its unity. A careful choreography of modular furnishings completes the layout, allowing for seamless adaptability throughout the day.

Integration with the promenade and the Mediterranean horizon was paramount. To that end, the interior floor was subtly elevated to open up the sea views, while folding glass partitions dissolve the boundary between indoors and outdoors. A pergola crafted from natural fibers extends into the restaurant, reinforcing a tactile continuity with the exterior landscape.

The material palette evokes a sunlit stroll along the shoreline: micro-mortar flooring, micro-terrazzo rugs, and a suspended acoustic ceiling with integrated seams create a harmonious, sensory environment. Along the perimeter, a sinuous clay wall — handmade in neutral tones — introduces rhythm and material richness, enveloping diners in a soft, welcoming embrace.

Furniture pieces, crafted from solid iroko wood and glazed ceramics, reflect the Mediterranean spirit and versatility demanded by the space. Verdant Mediterranean plantings, textured fabrics, and strategically placed lighting lend intimacy and character to the different ambiances throughout the day.

Floating above the bars, an art installation by Ramón de los Heros evokes the organic forms of a desert rose, heightening the project’s tactile dimension and further rooting it in a dialogue between nature and artistry.

Through Salt, Tarruella once again demonstrates how design can transcend form, becoming a living, breathing extension of its surroundings.

Project: Restaurante Salt.
Design: Sandra Tarruella.
Project Management: Olga Pajares.
Art Installation: Ramón de los Heros.
Location: Hotel W Barcelona.
Surface: 690 m².
Year: 2024.
Photography: Salva López.

Sandra Tarruella, a lifetime dedicated to crafting atmospheres

Celebrated this year with the Casa Decor Lifetime Achievement Award, Sandra Tarruella stands as a benchmark in Spanish interior design. Her work, spanning over 150 projects, is distinguished by a profound sensitivity to materials, light, and the intrinsic spirit of each place.

Born in Barcelona in 1961 and trained at DIAC and Llotja schools, Tarruella began her journey alongside the Tragaluz Group in the 1980s, signing her first project, the legendary El Mordisco restaurant. In 1992, she founded her own studio, setting a course defined by meticulous attention to detail, collaborations with artisans, and an aesthetic vision that is both timeless and contemporary.

Today, her name is synonymous with spaces that tell stories — atmospheres that transcend trends and resonate with authenticity.

A portfolio of living narratives

Among her most recent works:
• Hotel Sabàtic, in Sitges, created with Olga Pajares and recognized with the Roca Hotel Awards 2024, celebrates the timeless spirit of European leisure.
• Brutus, in Palma, awarded at the Monocle Design Awards 2023, reinterprets brutalism through a tactile, intimate lens.
• Gran Café Santander, in Madrid, revives the historic essence of an icon with contemporary sophistication.
• La Confitería, in Girona, signed by the Roca brothers, captures an explosion of color and creativity within just 25 square meters.
• The Lobster Club, in Mallorca, channels nautical aesthetics with noble materials like iroko wood and brushed steel.
• The Open Spa at the Ibiza Gran Hotel, where stone, wood, and clay orchestrate an experience of serene luxury.

Her career is also marked by emblematic spaces such as El Celler de Can Roca, Hotel Omm, Grand Hotel Central, and Hotel EME in Seville, among others.

Her accolades — including the Conde Nast Awards, the Best of Year Awards from Interior Design Magazine, and the Royal Academy of Gastronomy Award — are a testament to a body of work that places people, memory, and experience at the very center of design.

At Exágono, we celebrate her journey — a legacy built with coherence, poetry, and an unwavering devotion to crafting spaces that breathe life.

Fuente: Sandra Tarruella Interioristas.

Project by Sandra Tarruella