Beauty
is the language
of the soul
Tomás Alía leads the creative direction of the interior design at Banyan Tree Padilla Madrid Residences, a new benchmark in branded residences.
Beauty is the language of the soul
Tomás Alía leads the creative direction of the interior design at Banyan Tree Padilla Madrid Residences, a new benchmark in branded residences.
By: Noelia Jiménez
He sleeps little and never stops dreaming. This afternoon, he is intent on bringing Toledo’s dream to life, with eyes wide open, so that it may become the European Capital of Culture 2031. At the same time, he works tirelessly to awaken dormant artisanal traditions and noble materials that risk being forgotten in an age of voracious consumption, wool, for instance. And he creates objects that carve out emotions, that speak of history, that distil mystery and reveal life itself.
Tomás Alía is one of those names preceded by an extraordinary curriculum: National Interior Architecture Award (2000), Medal for Craftsmanship Merit of Castilla-La Mancha (2021), Gold Medal for Merit in Fine Arts (2022), Casa Decor Extraordinary Career Achievement Award (2019), ambassador of Talavera ceramics, Spain’s representative to the Michelangelo Foundation… and so the list continues, line after line, stitching together pages with exquisite threads of personality, dedication and commitment.
And yet, there is a playful glint in his smile — that of someone who still wants to play, who finds joy in making the impossible possible. A Madrid-style enfant terrible, born in Lagartera (Toledo), whose apparent rebelliousness is not quite what it seems… save for the fact that, amid today’s technological catharsis, he devotes twenty hours a day, sleeping just four to slowing the pace of history and returning to the roots of beauty.
That slow, harmonious, unhurried way of living is precisely what he conveys in his striking new project in Madrid: Banyan Tree Padilla Madrid Residences.
Social lounge and wine cellar at Banyan Tree Padilla Madrid Residences
Banyan Tree Padilla Madrid Residences is the first residential project by Estudio Caramba by Tomás Alía. While prime residential has long been a key focus of your work, what makes this intervention special, and what does it represent in your career?
It is a reinterpretation of how to adapt a stately building by the great master of architecture behind what later came to be known as the Madrid style, or at times the “neo‑Herrerian” style: Gutiérrez Soto. In this project, I am engaging with a major reference point, not only because he designed the building, but because it was also his home and studio; a place that embodied his way of understanding architecture and designing spaces for a highly sophisticated clientele.
The challenge was to transform these residences and go beyond the space itself, so that anyone who arrives can experience the entire world that Banyan Tree offers an extraordinary project conceived for, and dedicated to, wellbeing.
Is this the kind of building one studies closely while training as an architect? I have been fortunate to have had contact with Gutiérrez Soto’s family, particularly his daughter, which allowed me to gain first-hand insight into who he was and access his library, one of the great sources of his inspiration. We are talking about a remarkably versatile and prolific genius who did virtually everything: in Madrid alone he developed nearly 500 projects, from the iconic Chicote to many of the landmark buildings on Gran Vía. Without question, it is a challenge to work within the legacy of such a master.
“Prolific” is also an adjective that seems tailor-made for you, given the breadth and diversity of your projects as a designer.
I work across everything, from Olympic stadiums to palaces, as well as spaces for relaxation and hospitality developments, which are my main focus and prime residential. All my projects share a common thread: a highly recognisable style. When people see it, they know it’s a Tomás Alía design, yet it is always adapted to the client’s wishes. It is about creating something bespoke, a tailored suit, while remaining respectful of the surroundings and enhancing what already exists. In the case of Padilla 32, Banyan Tree’s brief placed particular emphasis on creating spaces defined by comfort: light, scents, an oriental essence… everything is devoted to wellbeing.
It’s very interesting that you mention scent in a design project, because when we speak about spaces, the sense of smell is often overlooked. Absolutely — and yet there are elements that envelop you, and scent is key among them. My priority is always light: natural light, together with artificial lighting, enhances and lends a certain magic to any project. At the same time, the surroundings must integrate with the design, and in the case of Padilla 32 that context is shaped by something as remarkable as the garden of the Fundación Juan March. Scent, in turn, becomes a narrative thread that gives coherence to the entire concept.
And we mustn’t forget texture: for me, it is essential, because I believe the tactile can be as informative as, if not more than, the visual.
Alía picks up a piece of white wool, soft and delicate, which accompanies him at his desk at all times.
This is wool, and it has its own story. If I touch it, it gives me a wealth of information, even without looking at it. It speaks to me of warmth, of luxury, of sensitivity, of togetherness.
Sight, smell, touch… if Padilla 32 had a voice, what would it sound like? It would sound sensual… it would speak of softness, of warmth… of the everyday elevated to the highest expression of excellence.
“Craftsmanship is thought shaped by hand. And when it comes to Padilla 32, that craftsmanship is expressed through the use of exquisite materials and the expertise of the masters who work with them.”
Craftsmanship is something you have long championed, consistently placing it at the forefront of your work. How will it manifest in this project? Craftsmanship is closely tied to that idea of excellence I mentioned earlier. It is thought shaped by hand. In the case of Padilla 32, craftsmanship is expressed through the use of exquisite materials and by calling upon master artisans who work with them, many of whom are custodians of trades at risk of disappearing.
In an age of artificial intelligence, can craftsmanship preserve what is humanistic? Without a doubt. I am convinced that a revival of the humanistic is already underway. In a globalised world shaped by the immediacy of Pinterest, artificial intelligence supports us in our daily lives and is, of course, welcome. But in contrast to that immediacy, craftsmanship reconnects us with slowness and beauty. AI is not sustainable, craftsmanship is.
Living room and views over the Salamanca district at Banyan Tree Padilla Madrid Residences
At Padilla 32, you begin with a historicist architectural legacy and move towards what the project defines as a “contemporary vision of residential luxury.” How is that journey achieved? First and foremost, through respect. In the 1950s, Gutiérrez Soto worked from a distinctly Madrilenian concept, with strong emphasis on granite, brick, metal and stone, to create a building that is both refined and sophisticated. That same elegance is what we aim to preserve, while translating it into the Banyan Tree experience, where space itself becomes the true point of reference.
We enhance all the communal areas through a series of sequences: establishing a hierarchy of spaces for living, gathering and receiving… all expressed through a distinctly oriental language that communicates through the colour temperature of light, the use of vegetation and the texture of materials. That dialogue between East and West will be a defining element.
Could we say that it is about creating rhythm within the building? Exactly. The storytelling of this project is built on creating hierarchies, on elevating shared spaces, on “painting” with artificial lighting. This sophisticated use of form and space is what ultimately sustains the narrative tension.
“Urban sanctuary” is one of the concepts Banyan Tree highlights in presenting Padilla 32. Are cities in need of spaces where we can reconnect with the spirit? They are essential. I call them “spiritual jewel boxes”: a beautifully conceived spa, for example, offers contrasts in temperature and sensation, inviting a kind of ritual for the body, but also providing a space to slow down and reconnect. And in a city like Madrid, with its relentless pace, that is indispensable. We need these “spiritual jewel boxes”, spaces of retreat where we can reflect and unwind. Increasingly, people are drawn to them — many are almost forced into retreats out of necessity… yet not everyone has the opportunity to escape to the countryside regularly. That is why spaces for relaxation and reflection are so vital in our cities.
“For me, the language of the soul is beauty, and the way to connect with the sublime, with salvation, will always be through aesthetics.”
One of the central ambitions of your career has been to democratise design and indeed, Estudio Caramba by Tomás Alía was conceived with that purpose in mind. Why? At Estudio Caramba there is no unnecessary ornamentation, because the aim was to make design accessible to a wider audience. My intention has always been to help people live better and better, ensuring that economy, comfort and everything related to human wellbeing become key elements of the proposals I develop in my professional work.
Why do you think that, at a time when we have access to countless trends and sources of inspiration that allow us to be different and unique, we are increasingly leaning towards uniformity? Because we live in an age of immediacy, we tend to do what everyone else is doing, to buy from the same places as those we see on social media and admire. That is why, for me, it is essential to champion the Spain brand and to focus on the individuality of our cities.
Madrid’s identity is on the verge of being lost, as many artisans are disappearing in favour of a more globalised culture. Yet in Madrid, our way of eating, of socialising, of living together, of blending cultures… all of that carries a remarkable strength. What we must do is reinterpret Madrid’s identity through a contemporary, sophisticated lens, while always remaining true to who we are.
We need to make a conscious effort to value our culture and to revisit Spain’s many identities, one of the richest countries in this respect.
Which areas of Madrid, in your view, best preserve that sense of singular identity? I believe one of the neighbourhoods that best embodies Madrid’s human scale is Madrid de los Austrias. And rather than speaking of areas, I would speak of masters. Artisan mastery is the true guardian of Madrid’s identity. Take, for example, Seseña capes… Picasso himself asked to be wrapped in one upon his death. And then there are remarkable ceramists, guitar luthiers, shawl embroiderers, bullfighter tailors, highly specialised hatmakers, glove makers, silversmiths… This was clearly evident in Carolina Herrera’s latest show in Plaza Mayor, which reinterpreted Madrid’s identity through its great master artisans. Here, we have extraordinary individuals creating truly sublime work.
You spoke earlier about excellence as one of the central pillars of Padilla 32, and indeed of all your work. What does excellence mean to you? How would you define it?
The French call excellence “truth”, but I think of it as the journey towards the sublime, towards what is most elevated—towards the absolute. It is a pure relationship with beauty, with aesthetics, at their highest expression.
We speak endlessly of emotions, but where does sensitivity stand in today's society? Are we confusing the sensitive with the emotional? Quite possibly. A person may be sensitive by nature, born with certain innate qualities, but developing them requires education. Education is the thread that runs through everything. Learning, experience, these are what shape sensitivity and elevate it to a cultural level. Emotion, the emotional, springs from the subconscious, from what we have stored and absorbed over time… but for me, sensitivity is something cultivated through learning.
Design is sensitivity, but it is also functionality. That, of course, is what it was born for.
Would you sacrifice beauty for functionality? It would cost me a great deal. I am devoted to protecting humanism, and so for me the ideal is for beauty, aesthetics, and function to coexist. There are times when something fiercely functional is not always beautiful but if it serves to save lives and plays a fundamental role in human development, then yes, beauty might be sacrificed. In general, however, if an object is destined to serve the human being, it must, alongside being comfortable and sustainable, be beautiful without question.
Does beauty also save us? Beauty saves us, without question. Pope Benedict XVI wrote in one of his letters that beauty is a way of reaching God, and therefore represents the highest expression of the human being. For me, the language of the soul is beauty, and the path to the sublime, to salvation, will always run through aesthetics.
Speaking of salvation and the soul: if you had to choose one word to define the soul of Padilla 32, what would it be? One word alone is impossible. I would speak of at least several: sublime, elevated, sophisticated, excellent, warm. An exquisite concept.
Urban planning is one of your great passions. As a creator of urban spaces, if Madrid did not exist, would it need to be invented? Without question. Above all because I believe Madrid is the most warm-hearted city in the world, and we conveyed precisely that during the wedding of the current monarchs, King Felipe and Queen Letizia. In the "Recorrido Madrid Contemporáneo" I designed along the Gran Vía, I sought to create a narrative that lifted distinctly Madrileño elements towards the sky, elements that ordered themselves and embraced one another. That warmth, that open and welcoming spirit, is what Madrid means to me.
