Montisión House Mallorca, Balearic Islands home images, Spain residence photos, Spanish building
Montisión House in Mallorca, Spain
24 September 2024
Design: Jordi Herrero Arquitectos
Location: Mallorca (Balearic Islands, Spain).
Photos by José Hevia
Montisión House, Spain
This project involved transforming an old ground-floor shop into a home for friends. It is located in the heart of Palma de Mallorca’s old town, directly across from the Montisión Church. The layout of the property is L-shaped, with access from two streets at either end. Natural light and ventilation come from these street-facing ends; however, the streets are very narrow, so direct sunlight is limited. Additionally, there is a small interior courtyard within the building.
The original space had a high ceiling and already included a partial mezzanine. However, the ceiling height was barely sufficient for two floors to meet modern habitability standards. During the renovation, the upper building was also undergoing restoration, allowing us to coordinate efforts and gain additional space by lowering the floor slightly, ensuring this worked harmoniously with the building’s foundation.
A central staircase connects the mezzanine level, allowing us to create two independent bedrooms with their own bathrooms. The mezzanines were designed not to extend all the way to the facades, ensuring that the tall windows allow light to reach both the ground and upper floors. Additionally, the stair landings between the street and the main living area were organized within these vestibules.
The ground floor was finished with light-colored, seamless microcement flooring to capture and reflect as much natural light as possible. This level houses the main living spaces: the living room, kitchen, dining area, guest bathroom, and laundry room. One of the most striking features of the original building is the historical imprints left by past constructions, particularly a unique double arch structure, with one arch placed atop the other. The design approach sought to preserve and highlight these distinctive elements, as well as the original beams and as many of the building’s original features as possible in an almost raw, untouched state.
While some walls had to be lined, as they were made of crumbling sandstone, we strived to maintain the authentic character of the original materials wherever feasible. In contrast to the roughness of the original space, oak wood was used for the new elements of the home’s design. This use of wood was deliberately reversible and distinct from the original building, creating a gentle contrast with the raw starting point. Curtains, textiles, greenery, and indirect lighting were introduced to complete the home’s ambiance.
The interior atmosphere, in summary, was created through contrast rather than a uniform, neutral approach. While working with contrast can be riskier, it also creates a more dynamic and exciting result when a proper balance is achieved. This project inevitably relates to the renovation of Can Oliver into the Nobis Hotel, as both involved working with historical elements and took place simultaneously. For the Nobis Hotel, we used black steel instead of wood, aiming for an even starker contrast between the architecture (essential, heavy, powerful, and somewhat rugged) and the interior design, which incorporated lighter, textile elements.
In both cases, the guiding principles were a “surfing” strategy—working with the energy of the existing space rather than imposing rigid designs—and the use of contrast to shape the project.
Montisión House in Mallorca, Spain – Property Information
Architecture: Jordi Herrero Arquitectos – https://jordiherrero.com/
Photography: José Hevia
Montisión House property images / information received 240924 from Jordi Herrero Arquitectos
Location: Mallorca, Balearic Islands, southern Spain, western Europe
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