Dating back to the 1970s and the first purpose built hotel in Bilbao, Hotel Ercilla was the go-to destination for every celebrity visiting the Basque region. Honouring the grandeur of the 1970s and 80s in all its brashness and observing the hotel’s own unique heritage, we interlinked history and design through the concept ‘Vintage Glamour the Bilbao Way’ coined alongside the client with Evolve Agency. Inspired by the era and its narrative, we incorporated palettes of ochre, crème, chrome, pink, burgundy and dark blue. Vibrant splashes of tweeds, houndstooth, and dogtooth were added to construct a bold geometric effect and reference Bilbao’s own strong trade history with Britain as an industrial port city, alongside a softer feel created through velvets and sumptuous faux furs in true 1970s style. Frosted geometric globe lights, chrome, and local oak woodwork was introduced throughout the building, adding an atmospheric almost cinematic quality, returning the hotel solidly to its former bold and brazen glory.