The Hotel Bagués is shoring itself up as a modernist hub with an Art Nouveau glass collection

Since its opening in 2010 in the heart of La Rambla, Hotel Bagués has stood as a tribute to modernism. This ambition of the establishment did not stem from a decision or will, but rather was given to it by the past of the building that now houses its 30 rooms. At the confluence of the emblematic Barcelona avenue with Calle del Carme, stood the Bagués-Masriera jewelry-workshop, a benchmark of modernism made into jewelry. This past of the building led Derby Hotels Collection, chaired by Jordi Clos, to make modernism the transversal axis of the hotel, which now goes a step further with the incorporation of a new collection of Art Nouveau glass.

The 27 glass vases in the collection are the new protagonists of the hotel's museum-room. Nearly half of the pieces are by the renowned artist Émile Gallé, while the rest are by contemporary artists. Despite the diversity in the authorship of the pieces, all of them are characterized by the abundance of color and by complex techniques that employ the use of layers of glass and acids to bring out engravings of whimsical shapes, mostly linked to nature.

Most of the pieces come from an auction in which Clos personally participated, and in which he "swept" with the aim of acquiring all the pieces offered, coming from a "noble family" of which no details emerged. Regarding details, no specifics have been given about the price of the new collection either: "Money doesn't matter, the stories behind the pieces do." And another element also matters, and that is that Clos has highlighted the importance of Barcelona, a benchmark of modernism, having this collection of Art Nouveau glass, which Clos does not rule out expanding.

The vases occupy a space where Bagués-Masriera jewels, which were on loan to the hotel, were exhibited. Now they return to their owners and to the establishment they have on the ground floor of the also modernist Casa Ametller on Paseo de Gràcia. the hotel's jewelry past seeps into the establishment and its rooms, with old molds and jewels from the historic workshop. References to modernism also run through its facilities, from the furniture in the rooms to the design of the spaces, with sinuous curves, fluid and asymmetrical lines, floral ornamentation and details inspired by nature.

The new pieces join the more than 5,400 that Clos and his team have gathered over the years. They are distributed in the Museu Egipci de Barcelona, also founded by Clos, and in the establishments of Derby Hotels Collection. Founded in 1968, the chain has 22 luxury establishments in emblematic buildings in Barcelona, Madrid, London, and Paris, which house collections and pieces of styles and origins as diverse as Ancient Egypt, classical culture, pre-Columbian civilizations, and African tribal art. "We don't know if we are museum-like or hoteliers," Clos proclaimed alongside the hotel director, Greg Behn.

The new Art Nouveau collection will not only have hotel guests as visitors, as the establishment will open it to the public on specific days. Furthermore, the hotel will not prevent entry to anyone who comes expressly to contemplate the meticulous glasswork that the collection brings together. Thus, contemplating these pieces can be the reason and the excuse to delve into this modernist environment, but it is not the only reason to do so. The hotel hides on its rooftop a terrace with privileged views that offer an unusual perspective of Barcelona and the Gòtic. Presided over by the l'Església de Betlem on Carrer del Carme, they represent a balcony over La Rambla from which to calmly contemplate the avenue without being part of the hustle and bustle and the incessant flow of visitors and Barcelonians. An oasis that from May to October puts its bar and cocktail bar at the service of any visitor, through a discreet, almost secret invitation, which aims to maintain an exclusive atmosphere as a hidden viewpoint of the city's most visible avenue.