A Winter in Spain
We spent six weeks in Marbella over the Christmas and New Year’s winter season and were greatly inspired by the residential architecture of the city. Marbella showcases an inspiring mixture of old and new architectural styles and building types; on one hand you experience the historical Casco Antiguo (Old Quarter) with its white-washed houses, small boutiques, narrow cobbled streets and beautiful hidden squares and plazas, overflowing with plants, flowers, cacti and orange trees. On the other hand, we find modern high-rise apartment blocks, contemporary hotels and luxury villas.[1]
It is incredible to think Marbella used to be a quiet fishing village in Spain but has in only around 50 years transformed into an international tourist destination.[2] The city has hosted a number of civilisations along the way; the Phoenicians, the Visigoths, Vandals and Byzantines. All these groups have left their mark and there are still some old buildings of these eras that have been preserved throughout time, especially within the Old Quarter, making the city incredibly eclectic. You experience an incredible combination of Renaissance, Baroque, Gothic, and especially Moorish architectural styles.[3] Each style has, however, been interpreted in a Spanish way. We find a lot of contrast between light and dark/shade, intricately decorated facades as well as simple blank walls pierced by only a few windows to lessen the impact of the heat during the hot summer months.[4]
Moorish architecture, the catch-all term for architecture built by the ‘Moors’ which were a number of Islamic Empire groups that ruled over North Africa, modern-day Spain, and Portugal as far back as the 7th century, has influenced Marbella in many ways. This type of Islamic architecture is identified by features such as the horseshoe arch, geometric patterns, and intricate details [5], and these types of elaborate geometric and arabesque motifs in different materials; such as wood, stucco, and tilework, are present all over Marbella, even in the more basic domestic apartment blocks.[6] A central pebbled patio surrounded by arcades is a strong design principle around the city, which is also a key feature in domestic buildings of Moorish architecture.[7]
A lot of our time over December and January was spent walking around the residential areas of the city while our son was sleeping in his buggy and during these daily walks we fell in love with even the normal domestic apartment blocks of this Andalusian city, many of these built between the 1960’s and 80’s. Every flat seemed to have their own balcony, no doubt because of the hot summers and mild winters, and people tend to properly care for their outdoor spaces. The balconies are decorated with plants, flowers, and beautiful outdoor furniture, however, they also show signs of domesticity and everyday life through the drying of people’s washing and numerous air conditioning units. We loved the geometry of these edificios (buildings), the way shadows fell on the stucco facades, how privacy was dealt with through decorative air bricks or glass panes, how no building seemed to shy away from colour and textures as well as how they were all so cleverly situated and angled in line with the cardinal directions; maximising daylight and views of the sea, without any direct South-facing overheating issues. The history of Marbella and its influences throughout time was clearly visible. The designs were clever, yet simple.
We’ve shared some of our favourite photographs in this post, encapsulating the architectural design principles, textures, and details we’ve come to love in Marbella.
[1] What Marbella Online Travel Guide, ‘Architecture in Marbella’ (2011), https://www.whatmarbella.com/architecture-spain.html
[2] Marbella Family Fun, ’Marbella History: How It All Came to Be’ https://www.marbellafamilyfun.com/marbella-history.html
[3] What Marbella Online Travel Guide, ‘Architecture in Marbella’ (2011), https://www.whatmarbella.com/architecture-spain.html
[4] Absolute Axarquia, ’Architectural Styles in Andalucia’ (2021) https://www.absoluteaxarquia.com/architecture/
[5] Carney, Rob, Architecture of Cities, ‘Moorish Architecture In Spain: The Top 20 Examples’ (Nov 30, 2020) https://architectureofcities.com/moorish-architecture
[6] Blog Weetas, ‘Andalusian architecture: The glorious Islamic architecture of Andalusia’ (June 2, 2021) https://www.weetas.com/article/andalusian-architecture-glorious-islamic-architecture-andalusia/
[7] Absolute Axarquia, ’Architectural Styles in Andalucia’ (2021) https://www.absoluteaxarquia.com/architecture/
