Alejandro Cateto of the studio Cateto Cateto has created an interior design project called Cateto Club. Located inside Marbella Design and Art 2026, this presentation experimentally reinterprets the club culture of Spain’s Costa del Sol during the 1960s.
Alejandro Cateto translated the sensibilities of this particular moment in time through a contemporary architectural language centred on the repeated geometry of the cylinder across seating, bar stools, ceramic flooring, doors, and custom lighting. The Cateto Club consciously avoids mere nostalgia by drawing on historical figures like Frank Sinatra and Brigitte Bardot as well as local landmarks such as the Aqua‑Tec diving club and brutalist towers in Torremolinos. The design incorporates rough finishes like gotelé and whitewashed surfaces that intentionally reference vernacular building traditions, as well.
Spanish Club Culture-Inspired Projects
Alejandro Cateto Presents the Cateto Club
Trend Themes
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Retro-modern Geometry — A renewed focus on cylindrical forms and repetitive geometry blends midcentury club aesthetics with contemporary modular design systems, enabling spatial identities that feel both familiar and novel.
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Material Authenticity Revival — Tactile finishes like gotelé and whitewash are being re-evaluated as premium vernacular textures that contrast polished minimalism and redefine perceived luxury through roughness and craft.
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Cultural-contextual Storytelling — Designs that explicitly reference local figures and landmarks are forming narrative-rich environments where place-specific memory becomes a central element of user engagement.
Industry Implications
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Hospitality and Nightlife — Boutiques, clubs, and destination bars are poised to differentiate via immersive interiors that fuse retro iconography with contemporary spatial programming to attract culturally curious patrons.
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Interior Design and Furnishings — Custom furniture and lighting lines that emphasize cylindrical motifs and modular repetition can redefine product collections for projects seeking historically informed modernism.
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Ceramics and Tile Manufacturing — Producer opportunities emerge in creating bespoke ceramic flooring and artisanal finishes that mimic vernacular techniques while meeting modern durability and sustainability standards.