Port Adriano marina by Philippe Starck, Mallorca
‘It is almost invisible,' says Philippe Starck, of the new Port Adriano marina in Mallorca. 'The architecture exists only on the second view. When you first arrive, you don’t notice anything and after a while you start to see.’ So don't expect a grand architectural statement then. It may have been designed for mega yachts, but there's nothing bling about Starck's design. Instead he has opted for a pared down, low slung and elegant structure that is home to restaurants, bars, a car park, fashion and nautical stores, as well as a marina.
The architect was brought on board by Antonio Zaforteza, owner of Ocibar – the island’s flourishing nautical-management company. Starck's love for all things oceanic and his experience in yacht design, however, ensured he needed little coaxing. ‘I cannot survive without the sea,’ he explains, adding: ‘I design mega yachts for other people, but I only have a small boat. It’s grey and incredibly ugly with lots of boxes of wine and mattresses for the children.’
Located on the south-west bay of Palma de Mallorca, the capital of the Balearic Islands, the marina has up until now been a rather disappointing docking space for yachts and speed boats. Inspired by his intense dislike for onsite car parking spaces, Starck’s mission was to create a structure that artfully concealed an underground car park below sea level. ‘I’ve seen a lot of harbours - they are all horrible. And there is worse - there are marinas. Marinas for me are basically huge parking lots.’
Instead Starck has created a clean, linear, two-level structure featuring concrete columns, topped off with a slatted wood roof and a striking staircase lit from beneath. Design details include street lights modelled on standing lamps, handsome numbered steel mooring plates and chic bollards. ‘When I design something I try make it so that it doesn’t become obsolete in 20 years,’ says Starck. ‘We are stuck in a ‘Kleenex’ society and the only way to work is to create timeless design.’
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox
Lauren Ho is the former travel editor at Wallpaper*. Now a contributing editor, she roams the globe, writing extensively about luxury travel, architecture and design for both the magazine and the website, alongside various other titles. She is also the European Academy Chair for the World's 50 Best Hotels.
-
Bang & Olufsen’s Recreated Classics series continues with a CD player revival
Bang & Olufsen’s Beosystem 9000c music system brings the original digital compact disc format back to life and pairs it with the latest in speaker design
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
A new book highlights the work of Turkish interior designer Zeynep Fadıllıoğlu
‘Zeynep Fadıllıoğlu: Luxury Redefined’, published by Rizzoli, traces the career of leading Istanbul-based designer Zeynep Fadillioglu, the first woman to design a mosque in Turkey
By Léa Teuscher Published
-
London gallery Incubator’s six emerging artists to see in spring 2024
Incubator's spring programme features six artists in consecutive two-week solo shows at the London, Chiltern Street gallery
By Mary Cleary Published
-
Last chance to see: the shape-shifting furniture of Enric Miralles
Fundació Enric Miralles with support from the American Hardwood Export Council pays tribute to the late Catalan architect’s furniture work, with an exhibition demonstrating his dynamic approach to design (until 29 August 2021)
By Rosa Bertoli Last updated
-
The Roca Brothers' new restaurant celebrates ‘ordinary’
The Roca Brothers latest dining concept – Girona's Restaurant Normal – is designed by Catalan designer Andreu Carulla in collaboration with local artisans
By Sheila Lam Last updated
-
An apartment inside a modernist marvel by Antoni Gaudí in Barcelona gets reimagined
By Luke Halls Last updated
-
Spanish design store gets light-flooded interior makeover by local firm Zooco
By Elly Parsons Last updated
-
Set superstar Alexandre de Betak’s Paris apartment interiors go under the hammer
By Emma O'Kelly Last updated
-
A former printworks makes an impression as a gallery and home for designer Xavier Lust
By Siska Lyssens Last updated
-
Eclectic shopping: Batavia celebrates 20 years with new Madrid flagship store
By Elisa Carassai Last updated
-
Ferran Adria's plans for the elBullifoundation
By Lauren Ho Last updated