In Barcelona, somewhere between a hotel and a rental apartment, exists the eco-friendly concept yök Casa + Cultura. It’s three homes in the turn-of-the-century Catalan Modernism style, crowned with a magnificent roof terrace, combined to form what founders Petz Scholtus and Mari Rodríguez believe is a completely original proposition in the city. Petz, a former product designer, had decided to change tack and pursue eco-design after the success of her R3project eco-flat, and was already making plans for what would become yök Casa + Cultura when she met hospitality manager Mari.
So what about that name? yök is a play on the Catalan word lloc (location) and also refers to egg yolks – at the centre of things, and often use to bind ingredients in cookery. The diaeresis comes from Petz’ previous brand Pöko. Bonus points (and a suggestion to get out more) if you spot that their logo is a riff on the Dali-designed Chupa Chups lollipop logo. At yök, a commitment to the principles of eco design (reuse, recycle, reduce, restore, respect) is married to a reverence for the architectural features of the properties – these include decorative high ceilings, mosaic tiles, etched glass and sliding wooden doors. Cultura comes from a programme of events on that amazing roof space, which are organised to bring together locals and foreign tourists to help ensure their guests’ visit to the city doesn’t have to take place in a “tourist bubble”.
Photography, Carlos Barruz
