Mediterranean modernity

The Son Armadams district is perhaps the best area of Palma de Mallorca if you’re looking for premium quality, but want to experience a genuine Balearic lifestyle rather than being shut away in a luxury villa. The streets are lined with trees, and looking west, you can see nearby city landmark Bellver castle, up on a hill covered in pines and holm oaks. It is therefore not surprising that the project developer chose to give the residence the name “Bellver Oaks”. The building, with a total living space of 815 m², consists of three floors plus a penthouse on the topmost floor. Its defining quality is calm rather than ostentation: this is ensured by the uniform cubic design and a façade which, with a combination of vertical elements and horizontal bands, appears simultaneously varied and well-proportioned. It thus contributes to what its architect calls the “urban regeneration” of the neighbourhood.

The shapes and materials used, on both a large and small scale, also help to give Bellver Oaks its well-proportioned and regionally authentic design. Take the slats, for example. Vertical slats made of wood and metal characterise its look, for example with the large-scale panelling in the rear staircase, but also with the wooden slatted areas specially positioned next to the apartment front doors or patio doors. When used as a privacy screen or as a boundary to the street, they also create aesthetic shadows when the sun is low in the sky. The sand-lime brick used, which is known as Santanyi stone, is typical of Mallorca. It is famous for its durability and versatility and is also used to build traditional dry-stone walls. Here, it contributes to the visually relaxing aesthetic with its warm-hued surface, which can alternate between beige and golden yellow.

The seamless transitions between indoor and outdoor spaces are likewise typical of Mediterranean living, where temperatures usually mean doors are kept open anyway. For example, the same floor materials are used for indoor spaces as for the patio, with high-quality natural stone slabs being laid in both. Even key social elements, such as the almost monolithic kitchen units, are positioned close to the patio doors – evoking the sense of traditional outdoor cooking inside. However, in terms of building technology functions, the system is uncompromisingly modern. In Bellver Oaks, a Gira KNX system works in combination with the Gira X1 Smart Home server to connect lighting, air conditioning and security functions for particularly efficient and intuitive building control. Indoors, the system is conveniently operated via the Gira pushbutton sensor 4.55, while the Gira System 106 continues this user-friendly approach on the exterior door with a consistent, minimalist design. Additional switches and socket outlets from the Gira E2 design line in anthracite provide a striking contrast to the natural ambience and complement the Majorcan lifestyle in a modern, understated way.