Location: PALMA DE MALLORCA, Spain.

Architect: OHLAB.

A new residential complex in Palma, located on Paseo Mallorca, is set to become a landmark in the city due to its architecture, sustainability, energy efficiency, urban integration, quality of materials, interior design and level of comfort. The building has been designed in accordance with Passivehaus standards to achieve maximum energy efficiency and a heating/air-conditioning demand of only 15kWh/(m²y), resulting in extremely low energy costs for the owner and for the planet. The façade, consisting of sliding panels made of wooden slats, acts as a solar filter to create stunning effects of changing light and shade on the homes, making the most of the sun, efficiently and all year round.

The building features an inner courtyard, with different levels, acting as an inner lung of vegetation and trees that continues upward until it reaches the landscaped terraces with pools on the fourth, sixth and eighth floors of the building. The courtyard garden features a gentle waterfall that cascades to the floor below, cooling the courtyard in the summer through evapotranspiration and creating a relaxing sound. The residents’ spa area, with walls and floors finished in natural stone, includes a heated indoor pool, steam bath and changing rooms. The outside of the building is defined by two types of facades. A permeable skin made of wooden slats filters the sun and plays with the light and shade in the day areas of the homes. Another, more solid, stone façade protects the bedrooms. The selection of natural and local materials, highlighting the essence of the Mediterranean, has been very important. The penthouses at Paseo Mallorca 15, on different levels, are true urban havens above the city, with landscaped terraces and private mini-pools from where residents can admire the panoramic views of Palma rooftops and the three-lined walk along Riera.

Photo credit: OHLAB