Mediterranean Living
POISED ON A ROCKY PROMONTORY IN MALLORCA, A HOME WITH PANORAMIC VIEWS AND ARCHITECTURE MAKES THE MOST OF ITS SPECTACULAR LOCATION
Perched on a rocky promontory in Mallorca, this stunning holiday residence makes the most of its spectacular location
The owners of this remarkable home on the island of Mallorca took their time in search of a Mediterranean holiday property. It took no less than three years of careful hunting until they found the place they were looking for. At last they discovered their dream house— built in the late 1950s by the renowned Mallorcan architect, Pere Garau [creator of Sóller railway, which links the towns of Palma and Sóller to Mallorca], and situated on a rocky cliff top on the outskirts of Santa Ponsa in the Calvia district of the island.
The property’s location is magnificent: right atop a rocky promontory, it overlooks two separate bays, with views of the open Mediterranean on the horizon in one direction, and the small port town of Santa Ponsa in the other. This made it the perfect choice for the new owners, who have a large extended family and wanted a holiday epicentre where everyone could gather from around the world to spend time together. (While it is currently a secondary home, they envision that the house will eventually become a primary residence as the older members of the family retire.)
The existing structure had undergone a previous renovation sometime in the ‘90s and, unfortunately, some “unfortunate” elements were added to it: aluminium windows that did nothing aesthetically were placed in the façade, and the interiors sported highly polished marble floors that made the ambience more than a little chilly. The more design-conscious new owners immediately embarked on a substantial re-do, and called in Mallorca-based architecture and design firm More Design to work on the project.
Attracted by the firm’s minimalist and contemporary approach, which also plays up historic and locationappropriate elements, the owners’ brief specified the use of raw materials to create simplicity and serenity in the space. The architect Manuel Villanueva explains, “We wanted to create a place where people [would feel] comfortable enough to read a book, fall asleep, and have an intimate conversation. [Naturally, it was key that the house would] fit gently into its surroundings as well as make the best use of both the morning and afternoon light.”
The current renovation began two years ago and included substantial structural interventions to the preexisting house. New staircases and passageways were added so as to connect the different areas of the home more organically. It now features eight bedrooms, most of which are en suite, as well as substantial interior and outdoor living areas, a large kitchen equipped for entertaining, a separate laundry area, and a wine cellar.
The overall success of the new design is a result of the way the house is oriented to the outdoor landscape that surrounds and envelops it. With its natural stone-clad façade and gently curving roof, the structure blends seamlessly into its rocky, cliff-side site. The former unsightly aluminium window frames have been replaced with a seamless system in which the windows appear [to be floating] with no frames at all. They are “almost voids, which can be opened fully so that the house feels like part of the landscape,” says Villanueva.
The design also reflects the influence of more naturalistic—and especially Brazilian—strains of mid-twentiethcentury architecture. “We are huge fans of the Brazilian architect Lina Bo Bardi,” says More Design’s Design Director Oro del Negro, and this is clear in elements
like the use of stone cladding, elongated roof overhangs, massive openings, the open floor plan, and the way nuances from the landscape were infused into the interiors. Del Negro adds that, overall, the space was designed with functional pragmatic living in mind.
This blurring of borders between the interior and exterior is seamlessly achieved through huge picture windows and doors. In addition, the floors of the immediate outdoor terraces are finished in the same way as those in the interior spaces. Also key to the success of this aspect of the architecture is the use of wide overhangs created by the home’s undulating roof structure. The generous eaves are “one of the greatest architecture elements in the Mediterranean,” says Villanueva. “They protect from both rain and sun—being so far south means that the sun in summer is very vertical, and these overhangs made it possible to design the large glass windows without inundating the interior
with sunlight that is too bright, hot, and direct.” Instead, there is a gentle softness to the beautiful natural light that floods the home’s living spaces.
The colour palette for the rooms consists of soft beiges, bone white, and warm greys. Micro-cement floors and pared-back soft furnishings, set off by contemporary artworks carefully chosen by the owners’ collection, create minimalist yet welcoming interiors. True to the owners’ preference, natural textures and materials are employed throughout, including the design firm’s signature elements such as untreated wood, handcarved stone, and locally manufactured encaustic (patterned ceramic) tiles.
Beautifully blending the outdoors with the interiors, softness with transparency, and the contemporary with the organic, this house is the epitome of the best things about living in the Mediterranean. Its exceptional design fits perfectly with its beautiful location, and the result is a home where the owners are set to enjoy a great deal of sun-drenched, relaxed, and restorative time. “It is precisely what the magic of Mediterranean landscapes is all about,” says Villanueva.