We interviewed Guillem Mateos Muntaner, architect director and founding partner of the studio arquitecturaGMMin Manacor. He gave us the opportunity to work on the lighting of the HOTEL MIM MALLORCA, a large hotel recently opened in S'Illot, with a Mediterranean air, simple and elegant.

Guillem was born in Manacor in 1976 and studied Architecture in Barcelona. Guillem confesses to be an art lover in general. This would explain his studies of music and piano and his passion for theater and singing. But he also reveals a great love for sports and yoga...for him it is a way to keep body and mind in balance.

At the end of his studies he began to work in various architectural firms, with some of which he had already collaborated while studying. From the beginning of his professional career he began to combine the private and public spheres. Guillem worked as an architect in the public administration, specifically in the Balearic Government and, later, developing the work of architect advisor to the City Council of Sant Joan for 9 years, he also developed his work as head of urban planning service in the City Council of Selva for 3 years. His architectural firm was created in 2007, after the growth and rise of the office, in 2018, Guillem would focus on GMM Architecture exclusively.

Guillem explains that the development of his profession in the public and private sphere has allowed him to obtain a much broader and global vision of architecture and project management; in addition, I have had the opportunity to participate not only in the building process, but also in urban planning and city management, as well as in several very interesting public works projects.

What do you like most about your job?

It is very gratifying to be able to carry out projects where people put illusion, trust, effort... Each new client has his own life, with its particularities, but all of them have a dream: to build their house, to reform or to enlarge their house, to decorate it... The fact that they put their trust in me and in my team is a responsibility, but it is also exciting and to be thankful for.

Which professional in architecture or interior design, a world reference, would you like to collaborate with?

Since I was a student I had a weakness for architects like Rafael Moneo, Álvaro Siza or Campo Baeza... of the current ones, I love the work of Ramón Esteve or the OHLAB studio, for example.

If you were a lamp, you'd be...

VÉRTIGO

In reference to Hotel MIM Mallorca

Our team of lighting designers have collaborated with Guillem's office in the lighting study of the Hotel MIM Mallorca, which we showed you a few days ago.

It is a 4 star Hotel owned by the footballer Leo Messi and managed by Majestic Hotel group. Located in S'Illot, on the coast of Sant Llorenç on the promenade and seafront, has two blocks of 3 and 4 heights overturned towards the sea, joined by a wonderful infinity pool on all four sides. This pool and its adjacent terrace is practically at street level, so that the hotel user interacts with the promenade while enjoying your vacation. The Hotel has 98 rooms, pool bar and porch in the pool area, a newly renovated SPA with all the amenities, gym, massage and relaxation area, sauna, hammam, the top roof BAR FLY with pool on the roof of the block of 3 heights and a terrace-solarium with panoramic views of the sea and the wonderful protected area of Punta de n'Amer on the roof of the block of 4 heights, plus panoramic glass elevator and many other services that provide high quality to the establishment.

For the integral development of the project we have had the collaboration of the interior designer Sebastià Gomila, the engineering firm Cabal Enginyers and the construction company Diagonal House Constructora BCN, all to completely refurbish the hotel and adapt it to the quality standards that Majestic Hotel Group and MIM HOTELS always require for all their establishments.

This is a hotel that aims to merge design, local craftsmanship and nature. We have worked with furniture from prestigious national firms and mostly with local suppliers and firms, both for the decoration and for the interior design and finishes of the hotel.

The hotel offers a functional, fresh, Mediterranean design with a strong Balearic influence, combining local fabrics, esparto grass, wicker, cane... all commissioned to artisans of the island.

Of course, lighting is very present in the design of the hotel, both inside, as a premise for obtaining LEED certification, and outside, where the lighting of the facade highlights a modern and innovative design, an icon of the area.

The challenge:

The challenge, finally achieved, was to turn the hotel into an icon of sustainable architecture, strongly committed to the environment. To this end, we worked on and successfully obtained LEED SILVER certification, a distinction awarded by the US Green Building Council.

How important is lighting for you in your projects?

As for any architect or designer, I believe that lighting is basic in an architectural project. Already from the initial stages of the projects we try to imagine how the spaces will be enhanced thanks to the lighting. This is why we try to recreate spaces and designs in "night mode", trying to understand how these spaces will be lived and enjoyed thanks to artificial lighting.

How does lighting influence or how important is it in Hotel MIM Mallorca?

The lighting in the Hotel MIM Mallorca is basic. Its study and impact on the project was present from the beginning. I have already mentioned how one of the premises for obtaining the LEED distinction was a thorough study of the lighting of the establishment, not only in terms of purely functional or aesthetic aspects, but also in terms of maximum efficiency. To this end, care was taken in each area to provide continuity and a common dialogue in the hotel.

Finally, in the last phase, the facade and exteriors, lighting became the protagonist, as we needed to maximize the design of the facade itself that we had devised with a kind of "skin" formed by solid Surface panels designed exclusively for MIM Mallorca. That is why we needed to illuminate these panels to create a night effect that would be iconic and recognizable throughout the area.... and I think we succeeded.

How was your collaboration with WorldLight?

I have to say that it was fantastic. At all times WorldLight was involved in the project and made its resources available to us to facilitate our work, proposing ideas or complementing ours, always with the utmost professionalism and respect for our work.

Why would you recommend Worldlight to other industry professionals?

I believe that a firm like Worldlight is necessary for professionals in the architecture, design and construction sector, since the lighting sector, like all others, is advancing day by day by leaps and bounds. This is why we professionals in the sector need continuous advice to develop our projects, as we often need technical solutions or support to bring our ideas to fruition and make them feasible.