Casa Sóller

In Construction. Complete refurbishment of mainbuilding, garden planning and addition of side buildings.

“Can Gaspar” has been proudly standing since the XVII century. Sober and strong like the rocks it was built upon and the olive trees that surround it. It is placed in a fertile valley, sheltered by the Tramuntana mountains. The neighbour; A stone church and it’s orange fields. The bell of it’s tower at maze time is the only sound disrupting the peace, along with an occasional chicken… The smells are deep, the sounds low, and the soft air tastes like sea salt. Can Gaspar was once two farmer houses under one stone perimeter. One part being older than the other- which is patent in the facade’s different stone and mortar color and composition. The masonry patchwork mix, the irregular spacing of the windows, together with the massiveness of the construction; gives the house a charming relatable identity, as that of a kind giant. 

The ongoing complete renovation project will turn the building into one single family house. In the 70s the house was extended from the back, unfortunately in a constructive language that doesn’t belong to the original. This extension will now be dismantled and approached differently. The transformation will focus on preserving and embracing the materiality and essence of the original construction. The perimeter stone wall will remain untouched. The new back extension will take a distance from it, allowing people to perceive the old outer wall from inside the extension and circulate around it. The ceilings of wooden beams and catalan —will be restored.

The house will be accessed from it’s main facade, introducing the visitor into a classic mallorquian composition; a big room that opens at the same time to a patio. In this case, the patio overlooks the church’s yard and servs light to the rooms of the upper floors. As we walk in we will find the main rooms and 7 bedrooms in the older front of the house, while the back part serves this spaces with kitchen, bathrooms, storage, elevator…In a clean comprehensive distribution. 

Together with the intervention of the main house the animal shelters will become an independent guest apartment of two bedrooms. The 4000m2 terrain will also be intervened to shape a landscape that introduces the house gently and ensures it’s privacy. The landscaping project will include a swimming pool and outdoor leisure spaces, with the premise of giving the lemon and orange trees, the hen -and other previous inhabitants of the plot- a main role in the new arrangement.