Ibiza

Client
Private
Year
2005
Program
Education
Status
Canceled
Scale
3.950 m²

The Plot

Located on Es Soto hill only twenty meters from the fort of Saint John, the old Ibiza military headquarters boasts a location with impressive views of the sea to the south and the city to the north. Balearic Islands University (BIU) is based at the foot of the hill; a large outdoor staircase connects BIU with the headquarters.

The Solution

The project preserves the headquarters’ exterior appearance while successfully converting its interior into a practical center for higher education; it also locates the library and the cafeteria one story below the original terrace in front of the building; excavated patios provide natural light to the reading rooms within this lower platform.

The materials

The landscaping of Es Soto hill, with the access stairways, is creased with gravel paths lined with autochthonous shrubs, that extend themselves from the stairs towards the hill’s edges. The platform covering the library and the cafeteria is punctuated by rectangular “carpets”, composed of concrete, wood and grass; an organic checkerboard particularly impressive when seen from above.

 

Gallery