A custom-made pattern of red and slate tiles for Lárazo Rosa-Violán at the Montera Hotel in Madrid

One of the top interior design firms has once again chosen a handcrafted clay tile floor for one of Madrid’s finest hotels. Slate-colored rectangles and reddish squares arranged in a checkerboard pattern: that’s the custom design Lázaro Rosa-Violán has chosen for one of the terraces at this iconic venue in the heart of Madrid. The Montera Hotel, a member of the Hilton group, has become a staple of the capital’s hospitality scene. It is a restored century-old building located on historic Montera Street, at the corner of Madrid’s Gran Vía.

This hotel is not housed in just any building. The historic structure, dating back to 1924, has been carefully restored to preserve the capital’s cosmopolitan and welcoming character. Montera Street itself has long been a haven for travelers from all over the world, as well as students and artists, in its historic residences. This adventurous spirit—authentic yet open to influence, with that touch of goofy, good-natured scoundrelism that characterizes our capital—is reflected on each floor of the hotel in different ways, but there’s a common thread: the use of objects and materials free from prejudice and preconceptions, such as the handcrafted terracotta flooring that covers the terrace of La Braserí, the dining space on the ninth floor.

An architecture of contrasts: the aesthetic universe of Lázaro Rosa-Violán

This isn’t the first time we’ve worked with Lázaro Rosa-Violán’s studio: last season, we created a custom floor for the patio of another hotel, the Pulitzer in Paris. He is one of the most interesting and celebrated interior designers on the Spanish scene.

Rosa-Violán’s style is famously unclassifiable: each of his projects has a unique character, and although his visual style is recognizable, it’s difficult to pinpoint exactly what his works have in common, beyond the combination of unexpected elements that defy trends and expectations. Perhaps that is why todobarro’s pieces find a perfect home whenever he includes them in his compositions: Rosa-Violán’s work is the perfect demonstration that terracotta is a material as versatile as the is gaze upon it.

Custom-made, handcrafted terracotta flooring to bring our client’s vision to life

The flooring at the Montera Hotel was designed using the Antique finish of our handcrafted tiles. This is the name we’ve given to the soft, silky texture on the surface of the tiles—similar to that of old floors worn by use—which we achieve through a controlled aging process that we have perfected over decades of experience.

For the floor’s interlocking pattern, we used the red Cuadrado 15 tiles and the custom-made Rectángulo 40×15 tiles in the “Pizarra” (slate) color. The checkerboard installation with spacers—developed specifically for this project—and the combination of shades reinforce a warm, artisanal, and urban atmosphere.