Palma di Maiorca
Year
2012
HIRT kinetics®
- SF 90
Architect
- Ralf Edelmann
- Oliver Krell
- edelmannkrell.ch
Project Partner
- Hirt Metallbau AG
Photographer
- Cala Blava: Roger Frei, Zürich
- Portraits: Alessandra Leimer, Zürich
To feel completely free
A true holiday feeling arises when you feel free. When HIRT kinetics® retractable fronts make boundaries disappear, that is exactly what happens.
Mallorquin lifestyle par excellence
For many, the Spanish Mediterranean island of Mallorca is synonymous with a real holiday feeling. Outside of the bustling beaches and popular resorts, this Balearic island is tranquil, scenic, and diverse. The foothills of the Serra de Tramuntana and the wide Bay of Palma shape its southwestern coast. This is where the island’s capital is located, and it is also where the longest of the island’s sandy beaches lie. At the southern tip of Mallorca, from S’Arenal to Portocolom, lies the county of Migjorn – a coastal area defined by picturesque bluffs, small bays, crystal clear water, and long, sandy beaches. Here, bordering S’Arenal to the south and gazing westward over the Bay of Palma, lies the village of Cala Blava with its quiet residential streets lined with villas and housing complexes.
If there is a God, this might be where He created a paradise on earth. It is the ideal place to make your dream of a holiday in Spain come true, to relax, and to have a siesta in the middle of the day. When the rays of the sun dance across the sea, the only thing that’s missing is a cool retreat from the midday heat. Perfect for this is a shaded interior – but one that lets in birdsong and an sea breeze. A look at this residence, realised in Cala Blava by EDELMANN KRELL architects, demonstrates how the dream of a holiday home can take shape.
The architects adopted elements typical of the finca, ensuring a genuinely Mallorquin way of life.
When the HIRT kinetics® retractable front is lowered, terrace and living hall merge together. Now, the path to the pool is especially short.
A finca where every day is a holiday
Mallorca’s holiday season is long. Often, you can sit outside on the terrace from late March well into October. This also shapes the typical Mallorquin lifestyle: Inside and outside merge together as the living area naturally extends into the outdoor space. The terraces, gardens, and inner courtyards are thus integrated into everyday life and contribute significantly to a feeling of freedom, generosity, and lightness. In this sense, almost every day is a holiday here.
In this villa right beside the sea in Cala Blava, architects Ralf Edelmann and Oliver Krell have made this a reality. In appearance, the building is reminiscent of a typical finca with its straightforward, simple shapes, bright white, and light wood. On the upper floor, large balconies create a direct connection to the surrounding landscape. The ground floor, meanwhile, consists of four freely placed rooms that surround a living hall.
This hall is the centre of the house. And just like the hidden inner courtyard of a finca, it only reveals its special charm at a second glance: It opens in all four directions thanks to retractable window fronts by HIRT moving architecture®. Thus, you can capture and enjoy the many different moods of nature from sunrise to sunset. Letting you experience nature with all your senses – that is the aim of HIRT moving architecture®. To this end, the designers at HIRT seemingly break the rules of physics and make dynamic what used to be static. This doesn’t merely open up rooms, but new dimensions.
So close to sky and sea: The clever arrangement of the living hall guarantees gorgeous views in all four directions.
EDELMANN KRELL Architekten
Ralf Edelmann and Oliver Krell
Precision, care and a holistic approach define the style of Zurich-based Ralf Edelmann and Oliver Krell, who have been developing atmospheric, integrative buildings and subtle interiors since 2005. They regard architecture as a holistic discipline that is characterized in equal measure by a high degree of intellectual rigor and structural quality. With their buildings, they strive to create objects that retain their value over the long term, both in terms of physical durability and perceived timelessness.
