Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Saturday, May 31, 2025

A Breezy, Barrel-Vaulted Home Springs Up on a Balearic Isle

A Breezy, Barrel-Vaulted Home Springs Up on a Balearic Isle

A new home on the island of Formentera fuses Mediterranean craft with the lay of the land.

Although it lies a mere 30-minute ferry ride away from Ibiza, the tiny island of Formentera is a far cry from its more glitzy Balearic sister. Formentera measures a mere 32 square miles, and its most famous tourist attraction is a stretch of salty marshes. The interior of the island is typified by matrixes of dry stone walls and agricultural grids left by Roman settlers. Scattered around turquoise bays and over terracotta terrains, whitewashed homes ranges in style from faux Spanish mission to low-key Mediterranean villa.



Marià Castelló is a young local architect who has finished a handful of small-scale civic and private projects on Formentera. His studio is committed to preserving the harmonious and artisanal character of the island in the face of what he defines as a notable urban pressure of poor-quality construction.

Castelló’s most recent completed work is Es Pou, a home for a young couple that live full time on Formentera. "The land has been in their families for many generations," explains Castelló. "And they have always had a strong relationship with the location, the cultivation that surrounds it, and local tradition."



Es Pou consists of three rectangular volumes organized from south to north. The first, facing the plot’s most verdant thicket of olive and fig trees, offers a porch, an outdoor kitchen, and sun protection. The second contains the living area and main kitchen, and the third holds the bedrooms. The volumes are interconnected by slim passages with independent doors, which when left open provide ventilation and light, which filters through a breeze-block enclosure.



The warm colors of the surrounding oat and wheat fields have been brought inside by way of pressed terra-cotta tiles on the floors and Catalan boveda ceiling arches. In keeping with the hyperlocal intent, the firm sourced simple rattan and wood furniture from Formentera artisans. The lighting and more contemporary pieces of decor and furniture were designed, and in some cases handmade, in Castelló’s studio. Like the architecture itself, they were conceived to honor the unique balance of Formentera and its delicate historical memory.


Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
European and Arab Ministers Convene in Madrid to Address Gaza Conflict
Head of Gaza Aid Group Resigns Amid Humanitarian Concerns
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
Netanyahu Accuses Starmer of Siding with Hamas
Calls Grow to Resume Syrian Asylum Claims in UK
UAE Offers Free ChatGPT Plus Subscriptions to Citizens
Denmark Increases Retirement Age to 70, Setting a European Precedent
Iranian Director Jafar Panahi Wins Palme d'Or at Cannes
Israeli Airstrike Kills Nine Children of Gaza Doctor
Lebanon Initiates Plan to Disarm Palestinian Factions
Iran and U.S. Make Limited Progress in Nuclear Talks
Trump Administration's Tariff Policies and Dollar Strategy Spark Global Economic Debate
OpenAI Acquires Jony Ive’s Startup for $6.5 Billion to Build a Revolutionary “Third Core Device”
Turkey Weighs Citizens in Public as Erdoğan Launches National Slimming Campaign
UK Suspends Trade Talks with Israel Amid Gaza Offensive
Iran and U.S. Set for Fifth Round of Nuclear Talks Amid Rising Tensions
Russia Expands Military Presence Near Finland Amid Rising Tensions
Indian Scholar Arrested in Crackdown Over Pakistan Conflict Commentary
Israel Eases Gaza Blockade Amid Internal Dispute Over Military Strategy
President Biden’s announcement of advanced prostate cancer sparked public sympathy—but behind closed doors, Democrats are in panic
Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki Erupts Again, Spewing Ash Cloud over Flores Island
Indian jet shootdown: the all-robot legion behind China’s PL-15E missiles
The Chinese Dragon: The True Winner in the India-Pakistan Clash
Australia's Venomous Creatures Contribute to Life-Saving Antivenom Programme
The Spanish Were Right: Long Working Hours Harm Brain Function
Did Former FBI Director Call for Violence Against Trump? Instagram Post Sparks Uproar
US and UAE Partner to Develop Massive AI Data Center Complex
Apple's $95 Million Siri Settlement: Eligible Users Have Until July 2 to File Claims
US and UAE Reach Preliminary Agreement on Nvidia AI Chip Imports
President Trump and Elon Musk Welcomed by Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim with Cybertruck Convoy
Strong Warning Issued: Do Not Use General Chatbots for Medical, Legal, or Educational Guidance
NVIDIA and Saudi Arabia Launch Strategic Partnership to Establish AI Centers
Trump Meets Syrian President Ahmad al-Shara in Historic Encounter
US and Saudi Arabia Sign Landmark Agreements Across Multiple Sectors
Why Saudi Arabia Rolled Out a Purple Carpet for Donald Trump Instead of Red
Elon Musk Joins Trump Meeting in Saudi Arabia
Trump says it would be 'stupid' not to accept gift of Qatari plane
Quantum Computing Threatens Bitcoin Security
Michael Jordan to Serve as Analyst for NBA Games
Senate Democrats Move to Censure Trump Over Qatar Jet Gift
Hamas Releases Last Living US Hostage from Gaza Amid Ongoing Conflict
×