This proposal was for the revamp of an existing hotel in Sa Torre outside Mallorca. Though Sa Torre is in many respects a classic Spanish resort town, set as it is in the Bay of Palms, the hotel itself is inland, amongst the terraced vineyards and the hills.

The site itself is a 15th century family finca (in essence, an estate) in the classic Spanish villa style. It exudes history, with its ornate exteriors, large stone windmill and, towering above everything, the gothic spires of the finca’s chapel. Beyond it all ramble wild fields and groves of olive separated by ancient stone walls.

There is no pretending this is not an ancient place. The courtyard itself is worn smooth from hundreds of years of feet going to and fro. Vines drape themselves over archways. Creepers adorn plastered walls. Giant olives, gnarled and pitted, stand immovable.

As an authentic villa with terracotta roof tiles, shuttered windows and cobbled courtyards, our goal was to celebrate the hotel’s history and charm by peeling back some of the layers added in recent decades and return it to a pristine countryside experience.

Our approach was to take away these layers, start afresh with the simple forms of arches and stone, and then put back very sparingly. We wanted to expose the beauty that was already there and modernise the interiors in a way that respects the architecture and culture of the place.