Mallorcan Villa

WORDS Robyn Alexander PRODUCTION Tille Del Negro PHOTOS Greg Cox/Bureaux

A boldly conceived Spanish holiday home situated on the mountains close to the historic town of Valldemossa blends an urbanely contemporary sensibility with elemental ease.

On the one side lies a forest of Mallorcan holm oak trees. On the other, a sea view in which, on most days, the division between the Mediterranean and the sky becomes blurred into a single vista of blue. And in between is this arresting, almost sculptural, stone-clad house, which combines the relaxed simplicity of holidays with an elemental, otherworldly quality that is difficult to define, but extremely easy to admire.

Situated between Valldemossa and Deià on the scenic west coast of the island of Mallorca, this home may occupy a spectacular position, but the structure has not always been a match for its site. Originally built in the 19th century and extended during the 20th, by the 1990s it was burdened by ill-conceived renovations, and in a poor state when purchased by its present owners.

Architect Manuel Villanueva of Mallorca-based More Design was the lead designer on the renovation project that followed, taking on a home that was not merely unsightly but practically collapsing, and legally out of code.And because the island’s strict building codes mean a house cannot be completely demolished and a new structure built on the site, More Design had to come up with an architectural solution that incorporated the existing structure while conforming to regulations – and satisfying the clients’ brief.

“The solution was to introduce a new structure within the existing building, then open up some spaces and demolish others,” says Manuel. The result is a home that is the same in terms of volume but an entirely different interior space. “It was also carefully reconnected to the surrounding landscape in a way that reduced its environmental impact,” he adds.