Buchan encourages our designers to stay curious and to never stop learning.
In keeping with this spirit, The Earp Bros ‘Espana Tour’ provided an incredible opportunity for members of Buchan’s interior design team – Elisa Gagliardi (Melbourne) and Charlotte Cochrane (Auckland) to explore Spanish design and nurture their creative passions.
Here, Elisa shares with us this incredible experience.
Madrid, Spain
The tour kicked off in the Spanish capital. We strolled the streets to see the sights including plazas, churches, markets and museums. We appreciated beautiful Spanish interior spaces. We dined at Sobrino de Botin – founded in 1725, it is the oldest continuously operating restaurant in the world. We saw a spellbinding flamenco show at the world famous Corral de la Moreria and danced back to our modernist hotel!
Valencia, Spain
After a high-speed train to Valencia we visited the famous precinct of Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias – the City of Arts and Science. The name speaks for itself as people travel from all over the globe to see this renowned entertainment-based cultural and architectural complex destination. The architect, Santiago Calatrava is known for his aesthetic and intricate designs. We had fun climbing the 200 stairs of the ancient Catedral de Valencia and enjoyed the view.
Porcelanosa Factory and Showrooms, Valencia, Spain
The next day we visited the extraordinary Porcelanosa Group headquarters. Representing eight brands worldwide, Porcelanosa is a world leading tile, kitchen, spa and bathroom brand. We saw artisan handmade manufacture on a huge scale. A unique method of working with ceramic, porcelain and natural stone, glass and wood the process is a beautiful demonstration of the character ingrained within these materials. Everything is made on-site.
At the showrooms we experienced the latest collections, designs and innovative materials produced in the factory space and studios. For lunch we enjoyed a delicious Spanish cuisine prepared by in-house Master Chef.
Granada, Spain
The Moorish jewel had a surprise around every corner. We explored at our own leisure and as a group we experienced the amazing Alhambra. A palace and fortress complex, our tour guide generously shared his knowledge of the architectural history. This stop was the final visit of the trip for tour attendees.
Barcelona, Spain
Charlotte and I continued to Barcelona. We loved the asymmetrical layouts, visionary facades, curved lines, pristine forms and colorful ceramic tiles on top – Gaudí! Gaudi! Gaudi!
FC Barcelona, Spain
We ended our trip to Barcelona with a visit to Nikken Sekkei. Nikken is Buchan’s strategic alliance partner. Nikken is designing the new Camp Nou Stadium, home of FC Barcelona Camp Nou, Principal Yoshi Uchiyama gave us a guided tour through the infamous stadium and museum, public and back of house areas.
London, United Kingdom
Having said goodbye to our tour group we flew to the United Kingdom and caught up with our London Buchan family for a few drinks in a local pub. Cheerio old chaps!
Thank you Earp Bros for a fantastic design experience!
