The Olive Houses in Palma De Mallorca by mar plus ask

Mar Plus Ask have unveiled their cavernous stone Olive Houses that sit perched within a vast grove of olive trees high above the Mediterranean Sea. The pair of dwellings dubbed, Pink House and Purple House, stands as a celebration of Palma de Mallorca’s traditional vernacular and ancient, organic building methods. The homes exist as an extension of the surrounding environment, managing to simultaneously allow occupants to feel safe and protected as well as deeply connected to the natural world around them. Architect’s capture the philosophy of the project explaining “this incredibly scenic mountain area is one of the most beautiful examples we have on earth of how well wild and human-made nature can intertwine seamlessly, a rare example of a place where man has given more beauty to nature — than he has taken.”

The project involved revitalizing a pre-existing structure as well as undertaking the construction of a completely new building. Mar Plus Ask said that the project “became the site itself, as we didn’t want to alter it at all”, therefore, the design was sculpted around the existing rocky landscape.

In possibly one of the most special moments within the build, the body of a giant rock formation spills out from the dusty pink walls of the home. Although its grey, organic form feels unavoidably foreign when paired with the pastel walls that surround it, there is also a sense of deep belonging – as if the soft, sinuous curves of the design found their origin in the natural rock formations on top of which the homes now sit.

Mar Plus Ask’s founding architects, Mar Vicens and Ask Anker Aistrup, explain, “to us the stone became the piece of art — suddenly the house was more about sculpting its backdrop and being its lightbox”.

Interior spaces have been designed to be as comfortable and as close to nature as possible. A vaulted ceiling “dissolves seamlessly into a huge skylight under which a hidden shower sits next to a hidden rock formation”. A bed is positioned with perfectly framed views of the valley and the kitchen is fitted into a cut out in existing stone walls, seamlessly fading into the olive trees outside through a frameless window. Every internal space melt into the surrounding environment, sensitively celebrating the natural beauty that was already there.

Each home contains only what is deemed necessary; a bed, a shower, and a fireplace, while the Purple House also houses a bathroom, two gas burners, a sink, a wood-fired oven, and a fridge. Water is collected from a natural spring behind the house, while limited appliances are powered by solar panels. Reusing the existing building on site allowed for the majority of new structural elements to be built half underground allowing for stable, comfortable temperatures throughout the year.

Both buildings have been wrapped in a rendered stucco-like material, that comes alive with the changing effects of light and shadow.

The two colours – a dreamy pink hue and deep eggplant purple, have been chosen for their ability to complement the two shades of green that don either side of an olive leaf. This decision capturing the project’s deep respect for the beautiful Mallorcan landscape.