Previously well-known as a jewellery designer, Xavier Claramunt is an entrepreneur who constantly surprises us in the fields of architecture as well as interior design and product design. Born in Igualada near Barcelona, half Catalan, half wingless bird, he was raised with difficulty and took off as aeronautical engineer but landed as unpredictable architect. Xavier Claramunt works in Barcelona with satellite offices in Hangzhou, China, and Mallorca, a curious Lander-island in the Mediterranean Sea. He is best known for his unconventional way of dealing with clients and for his shocking design proposals.

Working for an impressive array of clients ranging from Hospes, Hotusa (hotel management group) through to Ferran Adrià, the world’s most innovative chef, Xavier Claramunt mainly focuses on consumer culture, economic dynamics and people’s needs in order to work towards a radical change in the role of the architect in Spain. He is a designer of buildings as well as a designer of experiences.
He has successfully entered the realm of hotel design, focusing on the experience to be enjoyed by the guest. As a visionary strategist, he is managing a project which seeks to put a space hotel into orbit. Construction has also been started on a large building from a forthcoming catalogue of prêt-à-porter architecture, with several more designs about to be added to the list.

Xavier Claramunt was awarded the Contract World Award 2007 for his hotel Chic&Basic Born. His work is constantly featured in Spanish and international media. Xavier Claramunt was a professor of Industrial Design  at the Rubí Industrial Design School in Barcelona for 5 years. A frequent guest lecturer at universities and conferences across the Iberian Peninsular, he has also been invited to the Seoul Digital Forum 2008 to talk about the privatisation of Space Exploration.

He always uses a red Pilot V-Sign, his way of highlighting every word, every drawing.

AWARDS

- First Prize. Condé Nast Johansens Awards for Excellence: HOTEL HOSPES GRANADA. (2007)
- First Prize. Contract World Award 2007: HOTEL CHIC&BASIC BORN. (2007)
- First Prize. Present Future Awards: HOTEL CHIC&BASIC BORN. (2006)
- Finalist. Saloni Awards: HOTEL CHIC&BASIC BORN. (2006)
- Third Prize. Competition: POLIDEPORTIVO DE ARETXABALETA. (2006)
- Finalist. FAD Awards: BMW MOTOR MUNICH SABADELL. (2005)
- Finalist. First Award of Housing in Catalonia J.A. Coderch: CASA MUNTANER. (2005)
- Selection. IIIª Biennale of Architecture of the Vallès 2005: BMW MOTOR MUNICH SABADELL. (2005)
- First Prize. Corian Competition: BUFAT. (2004)
- Selection. FAD Awards: FREDERICHOMS BORN. (2004)
- Finalist. Architecture Awards of Mallorca: HOTEL HOSPES MARICEL. (2004)
- Finalist. Layetana Competition: NOVES OFICINES LAYETANA. (2003)
- First Prize. COAC Competition: ESPAI PICASSO. (2003)
- Finalist. ADI-FAD Awards: WITH BATHROOM LINE. (2003)
- Finalist. IIª Biennale of Architecture of the Vallès 2003: CASA GARRIGA and CRISTALERÍA  GRANOLLERS. (2003)
- Finalist. IIIª Biennale of Architecture of the Central Counties 2003: ESTRADA JOIERS. (2003)
- Selection. FAD Awards: COSMIC DIAGONAL. (2001)
- Selection. FAD Awards: STAND COSMIC/BATHTIME CONSTRUMAT. (2001)
- Finalist. ADI-FAD Awards: CONTAINER. (2000)
- First Prize. Trofeo Laus: CHCL DUCHCLARAMUNT JOIERS PACKAGING. (1998)

PUBLICACTIONS AND ARTICLES

- Newspaper. La Vanguardia Vivir: “MI DOMINGO”. Spain. (2008)
- Review. Directivos de Construcción #207: FLAMENCO TOWERS. Spain. (2007)
- Newspaper. Business Week: “ONE GIANT LEAP FOR SPACE TOURISM”. USA. (2007)
- Newspaper. CNN: “FLY ME TO THE MOON: SPACE HOTEL SEES 2012 OPENING”. UK (2007)
- Newspaper. El País Propiedades: “EL CHIC&BASIC DE CLARAMUNT, PREMIADO”. Spain. (2007)
- Newspaper. El País Quaderns: “XAVIER CLARAMUNT, DE LA XINA A L’ESPAI”. Spain. (2007)
- Newspaper. Expansión: “BARCELONA ACOGE LA MEJOR ARQUITECTURA EUROPEA”. Spain. (2007)
- Newspaper. Int. Herald Tribune: “WITH 1.000 SIGNING UP AS EARLY SPACE TOURISTS, A NEW RACE IS ON”. UK. (2007)
- Newspaper. News York Times: HOTEL CHIC&BASIC BORN. USA. (2007)
- Newspaper. The Japan Times: “SPACE HOTEL EYES 2012 OPENING DATE”. Japan. (2007)
- Review. Experimenta #58: GALACTIC SUITE. Spain. (2007)
- Review. Forbes Traveler: “SPACE TRIPPING: OUT-OF-THIS-WORLD ADVENTURES”. USA. (2007)
- Review. On Diseño #278: HOTEL CHIC&BASIC BORN y HOTEL HOSPES GRANADA. Spain. (2007)
- Review. Pasajes de Arquitectura y Crítica: GALACTIC SUITE. Spain. (2007)
- Review. Proyecto Contract #39. “PALACIO DE ALABASTRO”. Spain. (2007)
- Review. Wallpaper #96 Annual Design Awards 2007: HOTEL HOSPES GRANADA. UK. (2007)
- Newspaper. El País: “LOS ARQUITECTOS CATALANES ABREN UNA OFICINA EN HANGZOU”. Spain. (2006)
- Review. On Diseño #275: CASA MUNTANER. Spain. (2006)
- Review. Diseño Interior #168. HOTEL CHIC&BASIC BORN. Spain. (2006)
- Newspaper. La Vanguardia: “XAVIER CLARAMUNT TRANSFORMA PEKÍN” . Spain. (2005)
- Review. Wallpaper #81. “TORRE EN QATAR (KUWAIT)”. UK. (2005)
- Review. Detail #4/2004. BATH TIME. Germany. (2005)
- Review. Arquitectura Viva #100. BMW MOTOR MUNICH SABADELL. Spain. (2005)
- Review Quaderns #245: BMW MOTOR MUNICH SABADELL. Spain. (2005)
- Review. Proyecto Contract #11. “NUNCA INVENTAMOS NADA” and “FREDERIC HOMS BORN”. Spain. (2004)
- Review. On Diseño #250. “JOIES DUCH CLARAMUNT”. Spain. (2004)
- Review. El País Semanal EPS. “CLARAMUNT DESAYUNA EN TIFFANY’S”. Spain. (2004)
- Review. Genre. #113. SERIE CONTAINER. Canada. (2003)
- Publication. Pasión Diseño Español. TUB 21 and ENRROSCATS. Duch Claramunt. Spain. (2002)
- Publication. Pasión Diseño Industrial. CONTAINER. Spain. (2002)

CLIENTS