The island has always held a particular fascination having been occupied by merchants and conquerors of many different cultures: Phoenicians, Greeks, Carthaginians, Romans, Byzantines and Moors.

The result is a cosmopolitan 572km² island, with a population of 120 000. Ibiza has picturesque harbours and dreamy white villages inland; it’s a place where time seems to stand still.

Says Carreño: ‘Nothing existed here, just an empty hillside plot with a stunning view of the Mediterranean. My brief was essentially simple: to plan a seaside home for a single person, with no children, but lots of friends who visit in summer time; party people most of them. So the living and entertainment areas had to take advantage of the climate, indoor / outdoor lifestyle and the spectacular views over the ocean.’

The architect / designer’s interpretation of these requirements translated into rectangular structures extending up the hillside, virtually as overlapping, stepped levels. The sea-facing façade of these open-front boxes features vast expanses of floor to ceiling glass, which succeeds in bringing the exterior vistas of ocean, rocky hills and indigenous vegetation into the pristine under-furnished interior.

November/December 2011 Issue

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