Clavel Arquitectos

They say that there is strength in numbers. And a good example of this is represented by Clavel Arquitectos, where, as with Touza Arquitectos and other studios, two generations of the same family live side by side. Two ways of understanding architecture, the sum of which has given rise to unique and innovative projects that are recognised both at home and abroad.

Foundation and origin of Clavel Arquitectos

Clavel Arquitectos was founded in August 1998 as an architectural practice. It is headed by Luis Clavel, an architect from Murcia who studied architecture in Valencia, and his son Manuel, who studied at the Escuela Técnica Superior de Arquitectura de Madrid (ETSAM).

In an interview with the specialised portal Arquitectura y Empresa, the former says that he brings temperance to the parent-child relationship. "So there is a balance between the two of us and I think we complement each other well. And he speaks highly of his son, because "he has a very good thing: when it comes to projects, his level of demand is very high".

For his part, Manuel Clavel, who has become the most visible and mediatic face of the company, does not hesitate to say that his father is a reference for him. And also the Swiss Le Corbusier or the Portuguese Eduardo Souto de Mora, whom he quotes when asked how he understands architecture.

In addition, during his training he had the opportunity to rub shoulders with the British Farshid Moussavi and the Spaniard Alejandro Zaera Polo at the London studio Foreign Office Architects (FOA). A vital experience that, as she explained to Vanity Fair, taught her to see complex projects in a natural way and to demystify problems and situations.

Currently, Luis and Manuel Clavel lead an office with offices in Murcia and Miami (USA). It is made up of a multidisciplinary team of architects, biologists, engineers and interior designers, whose work, as detailed in another section, has won numerous awards and mentions.

Luxury according to Clavel Arquitectos

Projects, in many cases, that reinvent the concept of luxury. An example of this redefinition is the Odiseo building, a leisure complex located in Murcia whose hallmark is a large lattice of metal tubes that support the sign that crowns the complex. And it is precisely there, in the heights, where there is a terrace crossed by a swimming pool with a 22-metre overhang. A detail, according to Clavel Arquitectos, that represents contemporary luxury.

Also in our country, the Murcian firm has been in charge of the remodelling of the NH Gran Hotel Casino Extremadura. Specifically, the work in this five-star establishment, located in Badajoz, focused on the connection of the central atrium with the leisure areas and the entrance hall. And in it, among other solutions, black Marquina marble was combined with different proposals of lights and mirrors. The result is luxurious, enveloping and welcoming spaces.

Outside Spain, one of the studio's most emblematic projects is the Louis Vuitton Group's Miami Museum Garage. With gold and silver cars presiding over its façade, the building has revitalised the Florida city's Design District, an emerging neighbourhood dedicated to innovative art, design and architecture. And it has become a major tourist attraction and a new Miami icon.

Similarly, Luis and Manuel Clavel have been called upon in Dubai to give shape to the dreams of the great stars of gastronomy. One of them is the miX restaurant of Alain Ducasse, the chef with the most Michelin stars in the world. The other is All'onda, by actor and restaurateur Jeffrey Chodorow, with rooms customised using elements of Venetian craftsmanship and traditions.

Prizes and awards

This and other work by the firm has not gone unnoticed by the sector. So much so that they have been the subject of a number of awards and recognitions:

• Odiseo Building (Murcia). Design of the Year and Special Award at the XIII Porcelanosa Awards (2022).
• NH Gran Hotel Casino Extremadura (Badajoz). Winner of the Advanced Architecture Awards in the Interior Design and User Experience category (2022).
• Casa Mirador (Cocentaina, Alicante). Best Luxury Architecture Award at the Luxury Lifestyle Awards in the category Single Family Residential Project. (2021).
• All’onda (Dubái). Versailles Award (2019).
• Miami Museum Garage (Miami). Award of Merit at the PTI Awards (2019); Award in one of the Plus categories at the Architizer A+ Awards (2019); Winner in the Airports and Transportation Hubs category at the International Architecture Awards (2019); Honour Award in the category of Architecture Projects over 50. 000 square metre Architecture Projects category from the American Institute of Architects (2018); Innovative Facility of the Year Award from the US National Parking Association (2018); Honourable Mention in the Best of Design Awards from The Architect's Newspaper (2018); Best Architecture, Structure and Innovation in Parking Awards at the FTPA Awards of Excellence (2018); and Best Mixed-Use, Multi-Purpose and Transportation Facility Design at the IPMI Awards (2018).
• First sunset in the Pacific (Madrid). First Prize Light Art Project at the UK Lightning Awards (2018); First Prize for Best Refurbishment or Restoration of Parking Facility at the Awards of Excellence (2018); winner of the Lighting Project of the Year at the WIN Awards (2018); winner of a Gold Medal at the 12th Edition of the EventoPlus Awards (2017); and First Prize for Interior Lighting at the International Lamp Awards (2017).
• Stand Baraka I (Madrid). Gold Medal at the Emporia Ephemeral Architecture Awards (2017).
• Stand Maracaná (Murcia). Silver Medal at the Emporia Ephemeral Architecture Awards (2017).
• Specular Penthouse (Murcia). Best of Houzz Award (2016) and First Prize for Interior Design in the XVII Architecture Awards of the Region of Murcia (2013).
• San Cristóbal Building (Murcia). Winner of the APIRM Real Estate Promotion Awards (2014).
• Baraka Headquarters (Murcia). Winner of the APIRM Real Estate Promotion Awards (2014).
• Up-Downtown. Infinity City (Miami). Florida Association of the American Institute of Architects Award (2014) and First Prize in the DawnTown Design Build Competition (2013).
• Casanueva Pharmacy (Murcia). Winner of the BASF Award (2013).
• Stand Salzillo Nº 5 (Murcia). Winner of the XVII Architecture Awards of the Region of Murcia (2013).
• Regalable Pavilion (Murcia). Gold Medal at the Emporia Ephemeral Architecture Awards (2013).
• Ultra-lightweight centrifugal pavilion (China). Audience Award at the HK+SH Bi-City Biennale of Urbanism and Architecture (2012).
• Café del Arco (Murcia). Winner of the XVI Architecture Awards of the Region of Murcia (2011) and the New Generation Contractworld International Award (2011).
• Parking Avenida Libertad (Murcia). First Prize for Interior Design at the ASCER Ceramics Award (2011) and winner of the Aparcar Awards of the Spanish Association of Car Parks and Garages (2011).
• Nautical Club (Cartagena). Winner of the XI Architecture Awards of the Region of Murcia (2001).

To date, Clavel Arquitectos has received more than 100 international awards. And its projects are featured in magazines and blogs around the world, from The New York Times to Vogue.

Portfolio of works by Clavel Arquitectos

In terms of awards, these are the most important works in a wide and varied portfolio that includes projects for different sectors. Among them, even the funerary sector. In fact, one of architect Manuel Clavel's first works was a pantheon for his grandfather, which was later followed by others.

And, logically, the firm's catalogue included residential projects. Among them:

• Casa Mirador. Cocentaina (Alicante). 2020.
• 37 dwellings and swimming pool. San Miguel de Salinas (Alicante). 2017.
• Casa Cruzada. Molina de Segura (Murcia). 2015.
• Kaleidoscopic Penthouse. Murcia. 2015.
• La Isla. Beniaján (Murcia). 2014.
• House 4 in 1. Murcia. 2013.
• Specular penthouse. Murcia (2013).
• House for a provisional single. Las Torres de Cotillas (Murcia). 2012.
• 729 homes and golf course. Corvera (Murcia). 2004.
• Self-built dwellings. Alcantarilla (Murcia). 2004.

Clavel arquitectos with Kronos Homes

This activity, together with the quality and originality of its projects, has not left Kronos Homes indifferent. On the contrary, the property developer has commissioned two residential projects from Clavel Arquitectos:

• In the case of Brooklyn, it has brought a breath of fresh air to Buenavista, one of the most promising areas of Carabanchel (Madrid). In addition to its unique design, it has bright and warm interiors. And also common areas designed to favour interior routes and create comfortable spaces for all residents.
• Onix, located in Torrelodones (Madrid), is based on single-family homes with avant-garde architecture and private gardens. All of this in an environment with communal areas in which special attention has been paid to integrated landscaping. And in a town that offers all kinds of services and is located half an hour from the capital.

Apart from the residential buildings, Manuel Clavel, an architect who can boast of being one of the most outstanding lighting designers in our country, has left his stamp on a very original initiative: to convert the cranes of the Kronos Homes works into a real artistic installation using lighting resources.

"The project started when Saïd Hejal, CEO of Kronos, called me to look for solutions that could beautify the construction sites of his buildings. In the studio, we thought that we could achieve an extraordinary effect through light. In this way, a crane fulfils its function during the day. But at night it becomes a sculptural, poetic and mysterious object", explains in a video the man who, together with his father, runs one of the most innovative offices of the moment: Clavel Arquitectos.