Tradition and modernism in Ibizan architecture

Ibiza always surprises us by being everything and the opposite of everything.
This is also true in the works of great architects who, enchanted by the beauty of the landscape, are inspired in the realisation of marvellous villas commissioned by celebrities from all over the world, who have chosen the island of Ibiza as their favourite holiday destination.

But first, let's go back to the beginning.

The allure and enchantment of the old Ibizan houses is unquestionable.
The purity and simplicity of the forms, the white plaster that blends perfectly with the colours of the surrounding countryside and the blue of the sky and sea, the wide walls that protect from heat and humidity and give the sensation, when crossed, of going beyond a temporal dimension and returning to the ancestral domestic space, a space on a human scale.
The simple materials from the surrounding area were chosen for their sustainable and bioclimatic efficiency characteristics. Elements that have fascinated and intrigued numerous architects and designers since the beginning of the last century to the point of influencing global movements such as rationalism and minimalism.

Josep Lluis Sert, one of the most important spanish architects of the 20th century, fell in love with Ibiza as early as the 1930s, he dedicated a book of photographs to the White Isle with the exhaustive title "Ibiza strong and luminous".
Sert conceived together with Rodriguez Arias and Antoni Ferran the complex of houses called Els Fumerals, on the hill of can Pep Simò, an example, already at the turn of the 1960s and 1970s, of Mediterranean Modernity.
He was also a great friend and collaborator of Le Corbusier and the two architects spent several periods in Ibiza inspired by the simplicity, rationalisation and, above all, the human scale of Mediterranean architecture.

From Sert to the present day, many architects have left their mark on the island, and some among them have sought to maintain the harmony and unity of authentic forms, such as the great Bruno Erpicum , founder of AABE (Atelier di Architecture Bruno Erpicum & Partners).
Bruno Erpicum belongs to the school of modern architecture.
The architect succeeds in capturing the essence of the island and merging it in the exasperated geometric lines, in the continuity between interior and exterior, in the ever-present natural light that passes through the large windows and is reflected on the vast white walls.
It is in the apparent simplicity of the rigour of the forms and in the respect for the surrounding nature that Erpicum's architecture creates the equilibrium of a place that can trigger our emotions.

Jordi Carreño, the award-winning Spanish architect and founder of Estudio Vila 13, shows remarkable versatility and sensitivity to his clients' requests in his projects.
Jordi's architecture is creative and contemporary, he uses historic materials adapted to current shapes and requirements, with a strong emphasis on sustainability, an essential component of modern architecture.
His work is characterised by a persistent reference to the interplay between interior and external, in the development of a perfect balance between the beauty of the Ibizan scenery and the elegance of minimalist geometric lines, which the architect employs extensively.

French architect Pascal Cheikh Djavadi has renovated several properties in Ibiza by boldly blending traditional elements such as stone and sabina wood with minimalist-inspired materials. Djavadi likes to maintain, where possible, the existing ancient structures, combining them, with surprising results, with a modern design characterised by elegantly geometric modules.
The dialogue between past and future remains present in the achievements of the great architects who have the beauty and harmony of the Ibizan landscape at heart, respecting nature and the wonderful energy this island gives us.

Rolf Blakstad, son of the legendary Rolph Blakstad, founder in 1967 of the historic studio that was among the first to reinterpret traditional Ibizan architecture in a unique and sustainable way.
He reinvented the Mediterranean lifestyle by retaining and evolving the values of tradition and adapting them to the current perspective of modern functionality.
The Blakstad studio with its creations undoubtedly represents the synthesis of the evolution of the original Ibizan architecture into a modern, extremely elegant rustic style, where the main inspiration comes from the use of simple and environmentally friendly materials, the interaction between interior and exterior, the enhancement of the wonderful Mediterranean light and finally the living and organic relationship between man and nature.