W Barcelona

Controversy

The W Barcelona Hotel was built on land owned by the Port Authority of Barcelona, a public entity, but the award method for the project has not been made public. In La Barceloneta neighborhood, there have been voices against the building, arguing that the law states that a building can only be built on land reclaimed from the sea if it is a port facility. Nudists and surfers, groups that can often be seen on the beaches of La Barceloneta and Sant Sebastià, argue that the hotel complex alters the sea currents due to the extension of the breakwater, as well as altering wind currents, affecting Catalan catamaran competitions and the practice of windsurfing. Another controversy derives from the fact that it does not comply with the Spanish coastal law, which specifically prohibits building at less than 100 meters from the coast, while the hotel was built at merely 20 meters from the sea.

References

References

1. ''La Vanguardia'', 19/09/2011, "L’hotel W, a la venda per 200 milions"
2. {{ctbuh. 8991
3. The hotel also provides a restaurant led by the Michelin-starred chef, Carles Abellán.[https://www.splendia.com/en/hotel-w-barcelona-barcelona.html W Barcelona ***** - Splendia]
4. [http://www.elperiodico.cat/default.asp?idpublicacio_PK=46&idioma=CAT&idnoticia_PK=613206&idseccio_PK=1022 El Periódico], Els detractors de l'hotel Vela volen demanar-ne la demolició.
5. [http://www.elperiodico.com/default.asp?idpublicacio_PK=46&idioma=CAS&idnoticia_PK=560536&idseccio_PK=1022 El Periódico], L'alçada de l'Hotel Vela dobla la d'una torre que Joan Clos va rebaixar.