Vacation Architecture in Mallorca

Social media often depicts Mallorca as being the most beautiful vacation spot in Europe. The clear blue water, golden sand beaches, pine tree forests and unique architecture makes it immediately recognizable. The iconic Vacation Architecture in Mallorca is just as recognizable.

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

Mallorca is the largest Spanish island, with mountain ranges, hilly regions and flat plains. It has a Mediterranean climate with dry, sunny summers and mildly rainy winters.

There’s something about the bright blue waters, beige stony shores and humidity that make the sunsets have a pink hue.

Historical context

A large island relatively close to shore, Mallorca has a rich history of development and conflict as well. Under the Islamic regime, agriculture was thoroughly developed. Later on, the Balearic Islands were frequently under attack. It was only in the 1950s when tourism began to flourish.

Architectural Solution

The presence of limestone and coquina – a sedimentary rock made mostly of marine biome makes stone a widely used building material for houses, castles and towers. Mallorca has a rich heritage of row houses with stone facades, especially in mountainous areas.

The Mallorcan traditional estate is unofficially called possessio, as in property that includes a main house, a casita (smaller house) and sometimes a mill.

The structures are simple while an exceptionally large attention to detail is present. A consequence of island life. Windows and doors use arches more frequently as lintels.

Possessio

Shape: several boxes, detached or linked
Spatial Typology: chambered, portico
Spatial Organisation: clustered
Functionality: multi-purpose housing, production
Location: Balearic Islands, flat or hilly regions

If you’re confused about what some of these mean, please read the article on Spatial Typologies and Spatial Organisations.

Key Takeaways

In vacation architecture, spaces for social interaction are more important than bedrooms. Bigger living rooms, larger terraces outweigh bigger bedrooms.
Seemingly awkward spaces generated from weird angles actually make the house integrate itself better in the natural surroundings. The homes seem like they grew out of the soil.
Window shutters are an effective passive solar strategy.
Use different surface materials and textures to differentiate functionality.
Use natural materials: brickwork, wood, linen, limewash. Don’t cover up building materials, even if, for example, the floors are concrete. This gives a sense of unity and authenticity.
You can layer fresh, well kept surfaces with distressed surfaces. Lower sections of an interior should be polished while higher sections such as ceilings can be left distressed.

This article is part of a self-published book from the Vacation Architecture series.

If you’d like, you can order the book either as a collectible hardcover artbook or as an instant digital download.