What El Equipo Creativo does

El Equipo Creativo is a Barcelona-based interior architecture and design studio founded in 2011 by architects Oliver Franz Schmidt, Natali Canas del Pozo, and Lucas Echeveste Lacy. The firm specializes in narrative-driven spatial design for the hospitality, gastronomy, and brand-space verticals, organized into ten core service categories that include hotel, restaurant, cocktail bar, club, rooftop bar, dessert bar, commercial retail, and residential interiors. Its competitive position rests on a conceptual design philosophy that frames each project as a story, combined with proprietary expertise in artisanal materials — particularly ceramics, textiles, and natural woods — to translate chef, brand, or operator identities into immersive physical environments.

The studio serves an enterprise clientele composed of Michelin-starred chefs and restaurateurs (Albert Adrià, Ferran Adrià, Oriol Castro, Eduard Xatruch, Mateu Casañas), international boutique-hotel groups (Kimpton/IHG, Axel Hotels, NHow Hotels, Catalonia Hotels), and hospitality investors. Notable projects include Disfrutar (2 Michelin stars, #2 in The World's 50 Best Restaurants), Pakta, the Blue Wave Cocktail Bar ("most beautiful bar in the world" per Restaurant & Bar Design Awards), Axel Hotel Madrid ("Best Hotel Design in the World"), Kimpton Los Monteros Marbella, Palau Fugit in Girona, and a collaboration with OMA on NHow Amsterdam. The firm is privately held, self-funded, and operates without institutional investors, generating revenue through project-based professional-services fees.

The studio has accumulated 70+ international design awards from 2012 through 2025, including Architizer A+Awards "Best Interior Design Studio" (2023), Architectural Digest AD100 (2021), American Architecture Prize "Small Firm of the Year" (2017), and repeated Restaurant & Bar Design Awards, FRAME Awards, and BOY Awards. Geographic reach spans Europe, North America (Washington DC, Boston), and Asia (Seoul). It currently employs between 11 and 50 people and operates from its headquarters at C/ Llull 57 in Barcelona (22@ district). The go-to-market model is sales-led, direct engagement with high-profile hospitality brands and chef-entrepreneurs, with awards and portfolio serving as the primary marketing engine.

Name

El Equipo Creativo

Legal name

El Equipo Creativo

Website

https://elequipocreativo.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

El Equipo Creativo is a Barcelona-based interior architecture studio founded in 2011 that designs restaurants, hotels, bars, and brand spaces for high-end hospitality clients including Michelin-starred chefs and international hotel chains.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hospitality Interior Architecture

NAICS

Interior Design Services (54141), Interior Design Services (541410)

akta.pro primary industry

Interior Design Services (BPAHAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Exhibition, Retail & Experiential Design (BPAHAKAL), Environmental & Experiential Brand Design (Retail/Exhibit/Signage) (MPAAAEAG)

Keywords

• Hospitality interior design
• Restaurant interior design
• Hotel design services
• Cocktail bar design
• Architectural design studios

Headquarters

HQ city

Barcelona

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Interior Architecture and Design Services: Project-based professional services for interior architecture and design of hospitality, gastronomy, and brand spaces. Revenue is generated through design fees for restaurants, hotels, bars, and commercial retail projects.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

El Equipo Creativo is a Barcelona-based interior architecture and design studio that delivers project-based design services for hospitality, gastronomy, and brand environments, including hotels, restaurants, cocktail bars, nightclubs, dessert bars, rooftop bars, and commercial retail spaces. The studio operates on a narrative spatial design methodology, integrating ceramics, artisanal materials, Mediterranean references, and dynamic lighting to create award-winning environments for international hotel chains and Michelin-starred chefs.

Product overview

El Equipo Creativo is a Barcelona-based interior architecture and design studio offering specialized design services across hospitality, gastronomy, and brand spaces. Their portfolio is organized into distinct service categories: Hotel Interior Design, Restaurant Interior Design, Cocktail Bar Interior Design, Commercial Retail Design, Living Spaces Interior Design, Club & Bar Interior Design, Rooftop Bar Design, Dessert Bar Interior Design, and hybrid Restaurant & Club concepts. The studio works with prestigious clients including Michelin-star chefs (Albert Adrià, Ferran Adrià, Oriol Castro, Eduard Xatruch), hotel chains (Kimpton, IHG, Axel Hotels), and renowned restaurant groups. Their design philosophy centers on creating spaces with compelling stories and conceptual approaches, utilizing materials like ceramics, natural woods, and artisanal elements to evoke Mediterranean heritage and cultural themes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Hotel Interior Design Comprehensive interior design services for hotels, creating spaces that reflect local lifestyle and brand identity with unique atmospheres and artisanal elements. Serves international hotel chains including Kimpton (IHG), Axel Hotels, NHow, and Catalonia Hotels.
• Restaurant Interior Design Interior design for restaurants, including Michelin-starred establishments, with focus on Mediterranean heritage, ceramics, and culinary identity integration. Serves world-renowned chefs such as Albert Adrià, Ferran Adrià, Oriol Castro, Eduard Xatruch, and Mateu Casañas.
• Cocktail Bar Interior Design Design of cocktail bars with thematic environments, custom ceramic elements, and immersive atmospheres inspired by various concepts. Notable example is Blue Wave Cocktail Bar, recognized as 'the most beautiful bar in the world' by Restaurant & Bar Design Awards.
• Commercial Retail Design High-end retail space design inspired by luxury concepts such as perfumeries and jewellery stores, creating sophisticated shopping environments. Examples include Gelato Collection, a luxury ice cream concept.
• Living Spaces Interior Design Interior design for residential spaces including apartment buildings, combining contemporary layouts with classic architectural elements. Includes projects such as the apartment building in San Sebastian.
• Club & Bar Interior Design Interior design for nightclubs and bars featuring dynamic lighting, color shifts, and versatile atmospheres for day-to-night transformations. Example: Bala Perdida Club in Madrid.
• Rooftop Bar Design Design of rooftop terraces with panoramic views, featuring ceramic tile murals, contrasting textures, and Barcelona outdoor space inspiration. Example: Terraza de Vivi.
• Dessert Bar Interior Design Specialized dessert bar design creating whimsical environments inspired by fairy tales and pastry art, typically adjacent to main restaurants. Example: La Dolça de Tickets Dessert Bar by Albert Adrià.
• Restaurant & Club Interior Design Hybrid dining and entertainment venues combining restaurant and nightclub concepts with dual-functionality spaces and opposing bar themes. Example: El Mama & La Papa Restaurant Club.
• Restaurant, Bar & Lobby Interior Design Comprehensive hospitality space design integrating reception, restaurant, and bar areas with garden-inspired themes and stepped organic platforms. Example: Simultaneo at Hotel Plaza Barcelona (Catalonia Hotels) near Montjuic.

Quantifiable outcome

• Blue Wave Cocktail Bar recognized as 'The most beautiful bar in the world' by Restaurant & Bar Design Awards
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• OMA (Office for Metropolitan Architecture)notableStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with OMA's architectural team led by Rem Koolhaas for the NHow Amsterdam hotel project. El Equipo Creativo designed interior spaces (Selva Restaurant and Sonora Cocktail Bar) within the OMA-designed floor-to-ceiling glass façade building.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Hirsch Bedner Associates (HBA): Global hospitality interior design firm with offices worldwide, specializing in luxury hotels and resorts. Comparable to El Equipo Creativo in hospitality focus but with substantially larger scale and broader geographic footprint.
• Rockwell Group: Large New York-based design practice led by David Rockwell with extensive hospitality, restaurant, and hotel interior work globally. Comparable in serving premium hospitality clients but operates at much larger scale across multiple design disciplines.

Direct peers

• Martin Brudnizki Design Studio: London-based interior design studio known for luxury hotels, restaurants, and private members' clubs. Directly comparable to El Equipo Creativo in premium hospitality client base and award-winning restaurant/bar design work.
• Yabu Pushelberg: Toronto-based luxury interior design firm specializing in high-end hotels, restaurants, and retail. Comparable to El Equipo Creativo in client caliber (luxury hotel chains, premium hospitality), design award profile, and global project scope.
• concrete Amsterdam: Amsterdam-based design studio with strong hospitality, hotel, and restaurant interior design portfolio. Comparable to El Equipo Creativo in European hospitality design specialization and boutique creative studio positioning.
• Neri&Hu Design and Research Office: Shanghai-based interdisciplinary architectural and interior design firm with award-winning hospitality and restaurant projects. Comparable to El Equipo Creativo in narrative-driven design philosophy and international hospitality client work.
• Sandra Tarruella Interioristas: Barcelona-based interior design studio specializing in hospitality, restaurants, and retail. Highly comparable peer given shared Barcelona base, hospitality specialization, and similar boutique studio profile.
• AvroKO: New York-based hospitality-focused design studio with deep restaurant, hotel, and bar interior design expertise. Highly comparable to El Equipo Creativo in specialization on narrative-driven gastronomy and hospitality spaces, including Michelin-starred restaurant work.
• Lázaro Rosa-Violán: Barcelona-based interior designer with strong portfolio in boutique hotels, restaurants, and hospitality projects. Direct geographic and specialization peer to El Equipo Creativo, competing in the same Spanish hospitality design market.
• Studio Collective: Los Angeles-based hospitality design studio focused on hotels, restaurants, and bars. Comparable to El Equipo Creativo in boutique scale, hospitality specialization, and design award recognition.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/elequipocreativo

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about El Equipo Creativo