A new book by Urlaubsarchitektur reframes European hospitality through bold colour and the creative process behind design-led destinations
Photography courtesy of Urlaubsarchitektur and cover by Jana Gunstheimer
In Dream in Progress, the familiar tropes of architectural publishing are set aside in favour of a more experimental direction. Produced by Urlaubsarchitektur, the curated collection of holiday architecture since 2007, the new volume positions travel as part of the design process.
Spanning 210 pages, the book brings together 16 hotels and holiday homes across Europe. On Norway’s Lofoten Islands, Trevarefabrikken retains its industrial grain while accommodating a cultural programme; in Tuscany, Colle ai Lecci unfolds as a calibrated retreat, informed by landscape and light.
Elsewhere, The El Paso in La Palma channels a looser, more atmospheric sensibility, while Fowlescombe Farm, a restorative retreat in Devon, reconsiders the language of rural hospitality through a distinctly architectural lens.
Photography courtesy of Urlaubsarchitektur and cover by Jana Gunstheimer
What connects these projects is not a shared, glossy aesthetic, but an experimental spirit, a willingness to take risks and a knack for reinventing hospitality with an architectural twist. Each building was born out of a commitment to experiment, rethink spaces and turn overlook structures into memorable holiday homes.
Former farmhouses, industrial shells and neglected buildings are reworked rather than demolished, allowing traces of their previous lives to inform what comes next. The book’s design extends this thinking. Developed in collaboration with German artist Jana Gunstheimer, it features multiple covers screen-printed in Berlin, alongside a companion artwork that adds tactility.
Dream in Progress builds on the established book series by Urlaubsarchitektur, known for curating architecturally outstanding hotels and holiday houses. While previous editions explored typologies and destinations, this new volume focuses on transformation, courage and optimism – themes the founders believe resonate strongly in today’s architectural discourse.
Dream in Progress is available via the Urlaubsarchitektur shop here and at international bookstores
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