Ricardo Bofill's Red Wall (La Muralla Roja) Housing Project in Calpe, Spain | Yellowtrace

Ricardo Bofill's Red Wall (La Muralla Roja) Housing Project in Calpe, Spain | Yellowtrace

Ricardo Bofill's Red Wall (La Muralla Roja) Housing Project in Calpe, Spain | Yellowtrace

Ricardo Bofill's Red Wall (La Muralla Roja) Housing Project in Calpe, Spain | Yellowtrace

Ricardo Bofill's Red Wall (La Muralla Roja) Housing Project in Calpe, Spain | Yellowtrace

 

Projecting from the cliffs on the border of the Mediterranean in Spain, La Muralla Roja (The Red Wall), is a bold apartment block with breathtaking seaside views. Completed in 1968, Ricardo Bofill designed this playfully erratic fortress and almost 50 years later it’s still stealing our attention.

At first glance it’s easy to get lost in the labyrinth of this haphazard design, layers of geometric stairwells, winding thoroughfares and castle-like turrets jolt the eye from one architectural element to another. However boisterous its personality may seem, its layout strictly confirms to the precise typology of the Greek cross. Each arm of the cross intersecting at the service towers that contain kitchens and bathrooms.

Heavily influenced by the architecture of the Arab Mediterranean Area, this housing project is a modern interpretation of a typical casbah – think nostalgically back to Disney’s Aladdin and its walled citadel housing style. Characterised by its modern take on the traditional circulation of a casbah, a playground of interlocking stairs, platforms and bridges provide access to all 50 apartments in the complex. The apartments are varying sizes of 60, 80 or 120 square meters and contain one, two or three bedrooms.

 

Related: Architecture Meets Perfect Colour Palettes In June Kim & Michelle Cho’s Captivating Images.

 

Ricardo Bofill's Red Wall (La Muralla Roja) Housing Project in Calpe, Spain | Yellowtrace

Ricardo Bofill's Red Wall (La Muralla Roja) Housing Project in Calpe, Spain | Yellowtrace

Ricardo Bofill's Red Wall (La Muralla Roja) Housing Project in Calpe, Spain | Yellowtrace

Ricardo Bofill's Red Wall (La Muralla Roja) Housing Project in Calpe, Spain | Yellowtrace

Ricardo Bofill's Red Wall (La Muralla Roja) Housing Project in Calpe, Spain | Yellowtrace

Ricardo Bofill's Red Wall (La Muralla Roja) Housing Project in Calpe, Spain | Yellowtrace

Ricardo Bofill's Red Wall (La Muralla Roja) Housing Project in Calpe, Spain | Yellowtrace

 

Within its zigzagging layout, open-air thoroughfares and separate apartments are linked, encouraging the relationship between public and private spaces. A jealously evoking roof terrace, swimming pool, sauna and solaria are all found within La Muralla Roja and promote an enhanced lifestyle for its residents – I imagine its gorgeous location plays a part in this too.

As with its layout, La Muralla Rojas’ colour palette appears unruly at first glance. Striking reds, pinks and blues cover its exterior and seemingly contrasting to its surroundings. Bofill’s colour selection not only contrasts against but also compliments the location. A spectrum of blue tones ranging from sky-blue to violet creates visual continuity with the ever-changing sky above this deafeningly loud and considerably thought out apartment block.

 

Related: Ricardo Bofill’s Epic Home Within An Old Cement Factory In Spain.

 


[Photography © Gregori Civera.]

 



About The Author

Aside from being an impulsive traveller, avid wine drinker and Pinterest addict, Nicole is an interior designer from Perth, Australia. After qualifying in 2012, she bought a one-way ticket to Europe and found herself in the middle of London blogging for the London Design festival. Now, working in a boutique design firm specialising in high-end residential projects, Nicole spends her days vicariously submerging herself in the word of design. Forever seeking out new opportunities and ways to contribute to the design industry, Nicole also works as an freelance designer undertaking hospitality projects. She is currently a student of Harvard Graduate School of Design partaking in an architecture e-course.

One Response

  1. The Best Moments From My 6 Week Europe Trip – Golden Hour Girl

    […] This was one of the places I found on Pinterest and Instagram, and at first sight I knew I had to go there! Muralla Roja is actually a housing project on the cliffs of the Mediterranean in Spain. La Muralla Roja (in English the Red Wall), is a bold apartment block with breathtaking seaside views. Completed in 1968, Ricardo Bofill designed this fortress and 50 years later it is still capturing our attention. See more incredible images of the place, including baby blue walls and a ocean view pool here.  […]

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