23 Superstar Architects, One Spanish Hotel

Twenty-three superstar architects work on building a hotel in Spain. “Among those greeted by the mayor of Madrid when the project was unveiled yesterday, and pursued by what seemed like the entire Spanish press corps, were London architects David Chipperfield, John Pawson and Ron Arad. The Japanese master Arata Isozaki was seated next to France’s Jean Nouvel, who has just completed a sparkling new addition to Madrid’s Reina Sofia art gallery. Norman Foster, who couldn’t be there, had made a video, and an ailing Zaha Hadid had sent her right-hand man to explain her contribution. I could go on, but suffice it to say, if architecture had Oscars, they would be like this.”