Spanish Vacation Architecture
The entire Iberian Peninsula has a rich history. A rich history of fighting over territory. For the past several centuries, it’s safe to say that Christianity has won. Regardless, a thousand years of territorial conflicts has undeniably shaped what we consider today as traditional architecture. This article studies contemporary possibilities for Spanish Vacation Architecture.
This article is part of my architecture research, presented in a friendly way.
You can order the book either as a collectible hardcover artbook or as an instant digital download.
Order the book here.
Natural Setting
The name derives from the Ancient Greek word Iberia which wasn’t used to describe a distinct area or population. Unofficially, the word comes from the name of the river Ebro, the second largest river in the peninsula after the Tagus river – the one in Lisbon.
The natural setting given by the mild Mediterranean climate, the two large rivers, coastal lines on both the Atlantic and the Mediterranean and its proximity to Africa made it a nice place to develop the first human establishments. The Iberian Peninsula houses prehistoric human settlements dating back to the Paleolithic era.
The southern region is most relevant to the architecture we’re currently studying. It’s a fairly mountainous region, with steep hills extending all the way to the Mediterranean coastline.
The climate in the southern region is dry, almost categorized as desert climate. This, together with the presence of iron oxide give the region a distinct barren landscape, with reddish rocks, yellow limestone and scarce vegetation consisting of pine trees, olive trees and low bushes. The sky is a pale blue, as the mountains lock in part of the humidity coming from the coastlines and the sand rises from wind. As a consequence, the Mediterranean water appears dark blue.
Historical Context
The architecture we’re particularly interested in is the one specific to Andalusia, the southern part of the Peninsula. Its name derives from the name Al-Andalus, the name given to the entire peninsula during the 700 year-long Muslim rule, starting in 719 and ending in the 1400s.
Traditional architecture is, as a result, a hybrid between Islamic architecture and Byzantine architecture. Islamic architecture has many passive solar strategies to mitigate extreme heat while Byzantine architecture uses stone structures and masonry work.
Vacation Architecture Types
As deriving from this rich traditional background, there are several types of Spanish Vacation Architecture we can study. Keep in mind, these are examples we mostly find on the Spanish mainlands:
- Cortijo, typical for mainland Spain
- Hacienda, well known in Spanish colonies
- Finca, local Spanish estate, often times seen on the island of Ibiza as well
- Alqueria, a cluster of rural housing
The types of Spanish Vacation Architecture mentioned above have dedicated pages so please feel free to click through them and read each one.
This article is taken from a self-published book, part of the Vacation Architecture Series.
Lastly, if you’d like,
You can order the book either as a collectible hardcover artbook or as an instant digital download.
Order the book here.
