August 16, 2026 | DESIGN & INTERIORS
UPWARDS to the MEDITERRANEAN
words YUZU Editorial
photos Nils Silvia Foz + Nando Esteva
production Karine Monié
In Palma’s historic Calatrava district, Bastidas Architecture transforms an early 19th-century house into a Mediterranean retreat, unfolding across four levels before opening onto the sea.
In the narrow streets of Calatrava, one of Palma de Mallorca’s oldest quarters, a 420-square-metre house rises across four levels before opening onto the Mediterranean from its rooftop. Originally built around 1800 and reconstructed in 2018, the property has now been redesigned by Bastidas Architecture, with interiors by Angel Martin Studio, as a second home for its owners.
Rather than starting again, the architects looked back. Elements of the building’s historic character that had been lost in the previous renovation were recovered, while its stark contemporary language was softened. “The project sought to restore a dialogue with the building’s original character, reintroducing a sense of continuity, depth and timelessness throughout the home,” the Bastidas Architecture team explains.
The exterior retains an earthy ochre palette in keeping with its historic surroundings. Inside, off-white walls, ceilings and cabinetry are punctuated by traditional Mallorcan shutters in a soft blue-grey. For the architects, these “introduce a subtle layer of contrast and anchor the project within its Mediterranean context.”
REWORKING A HISTORIC HOUSE
Used as a holiday and weekend retreat rather than a full-time residence, the house is organised around leisure, guests and an increasing sense of openness as it moves upwards.
The garage level also contains a wine cellar and private gym. Above, two guest bedrooms share the first floor with a smaller living area, while the second floor is devoted to the primary suite, including an en-suite bathroom and walk-in wardrobe. The upper level brings the kitchen, dining and living areas together, alongside a mezzanine studio opening towards the terrace.
Working within the medieval fabric of Calatrava came with its own constraints. The house sits among narrow, winding streets, with neighbouring buildings in close proximity. “The intervention required meticulous planning and coordination throughout every stage of the construction process,” the architects say.
The vertical nature of the building ultimately became one of the project’s defining ideas, shaping the experience of moving through the house.
A STAIRCASE TOWARDS THE SEA
An organic spiral staircase finished in microcement and lime mortar connects all four floors. Alongside the lift, it forms the architectural backbone of the house, winding through the pared-back interiors.
“Flowing organically through the interior, the staircase becomes the project’s defining gesture, a functional element transformed into a sculptural centerpiece,” says the Bastidas Architecture team. It “gently guides the experience upward, unfolding almost like a journey toward the sky.”
The journey ends on the rooftop, conceived as a wooden ship deck overlooking the Mediterranean and the Bay of Palma. A small plunge pool, outdoor kitchen and informal lounge turn it into an open-air living space with uninterrupted sea views.
The staircase’s continuous curves bring a softer geometry to the historic footprint, while creating a visual connection between the different floors.
MATERIAL, ART AND DETAIL
Material changes quietly mark the transition between spaces. Microcement runs through the communal areas, giving way to natural hardwood in the bedrooms. In the bathrooms and wet areas, bush-hammered limestone introduces a rougher surface and greater depth.
“Bush-hammered limestone was chosen for the bathrooms and wet areas, bringing texture, depth, and a distinctly tactile character,” the architects explain.
Angel Martin Studio continues this material approach through the furniture. Its custom dining table is made in microcement, extending the floor into the room itself. Above, a handmade French pendant from Ruevintage 74 has individual felt shades inspired by the qeleshe, a traditional Albanian hat, while darkened-oak ARV chairs by BRDR KRÜGER surround the table.
The kitchen pairs oak veneer and lacquered cabinetry by Estils i Formes with honed Gris Zarci stone, Blanco taps and Miele appliances. Neva Light bar chairs by Artisan, a Clichy armchair by ByBlasco and Flexform Mozart chairs add darker timber and softer upholstery.
In the primary bedroom, a linen-upholstered Flow and Show bed is accompanied by oak Bok bedside tables from Ethnicraft, a teak-and-rattan Melaya bench by Wikholmform and the Birdie Club armchair by ByBlasco.
Art appears selectively. Two large paintings by Mallorcan artist Jaume Roig are the strongest departure from the otherwise neutral palette. At the entrance and along the stairwell, a work by Guillem Nadal, sourced through Galería Pelaires, is joined by Roig’s ceramics and Ethnicraft’s black-stained oak Spindle bench.
The house does not try to reproduce its early 19th-century past. Instead, its history remains present in the proportions and fabric of the building, while a new sequence of materials and spaces leads gradually upwards — from the enclosed streets of Calatrava to the open Mediterranean above.
