EL JARDÍN
EL JARDÍN
This beautiful estate located on a slight hill facing Dalt Vila and the Mediterranean, is a viewpoint to Ibiza’s heritage and tradition, witness to centuries of history and the mark of man. If Ibiza were looking for a window to promote its heritage and nature, that would be Can Oliva and its gardens. Its design was based on conserving the idiosyncrasy of the place and adapting its old structures to the new uses, in order to honour its original character, returning to the agricultural uses of yesteryear, with orange groves, almond trees and vineyards, alternating with recreational and rest areas. The reorganisation of the original spaces, in the manner of communicating vessels, gives movement to the whole complex, which converges in two listed buildings and a tower linked by a recreation area, which recovers the old olive grove that gives it its name. Cypresses, bushes and creepers seek their place in the wild and enhance the architectural richness of the complex, giving movement and delimiting its austere figure.
Is a garden that emerges from the centre of the house, projecting towards the four cardinal points and giving rise to an organic and holistic structure that gives meaning to the whole, linking it to the 4 elements: earth, air, fire and water. It is composed of a perimeter around the dwelling in which the main façade, to the north, completely changes its original appearance with the creation of an enclosed garden in the manner of an anteroom, an entrance hall, connecting with the English roots of the owners of the property, and where the element of water takes centre stage in the shape of a fountain and a canal that flows into a washhouse, into a courtyard where the earth gives life to fragrant olive trees and lavender trees that dance to the sound of the wind, spreading fragrances into the air, in pristine grids. The sunlight, the fire, illuminates the whole, creating different atmospheres throughout the day and at different times of the year, in constant change.
Between the mists of Cala Salada and overlooking the entire valley is the Persia garden, dominated by the house which is its main axis, is articulated from a grandiose Persian courtyard framed by four olive trees and the same number of flowerbeds with pittosporum, of classical design, whose background is a wild pine forest, in which even the Opumtias, so typical in all Ibizan rural constructions, are preserved. Some occasional cypresses give variety to the palette of greens and movement and intensity to the scene and a group of them gives way to another, older construction, perhaps a corral in former times, which is recovered like all those found in the grounds of the es- tate, giving them a new life, another new function, and which is accessed by an old paved path flanked by olive trees and aromatic plants. In addition, stone is also the protagonist in the walls that delimit the different spaces, in staircases, in the manner of a backbone.
Sabina Ibiza is a great holistic project in which sustainability and respect for the environment and natural resources play a fundamental role, being the guiding thread of both the architectural projects and its gardens, conceived as a whole but respecting the particular language of each proposal, like a matrioshka. The use of water, which is the life that runs through the veins of this complex, unique in Europe for its sustainable vision, is fundamental in its planning. In it, the global and the intimate go hand in hand in an example of how the contemporary can coexist with the classic and the autochthonous, without this implying a plundering of resources. Thus, all the architecture of its gardens aims to connect and make available to its inhabitants spaces for collective and public enjoyment, but at the same time articulates different corners for retreat, meeting or play for the little ones, in a safe environment in which to live and coexist, surrounded by purely Mediterranean vegetation and atmosphere, with unusually tall olive trees coexisting with cypresses, fruit trees, orchards and a large selection of aromatic and colourful vines.
The search for balance between right angles in contrast with the shapes of the vegetation surrounding the structure is the main feature of the Beatus Ille garden. The mix of materials, the fusion between concrete and the leafy nature that wants to conquer it, the water that makes them flow. The composition is at once complex, with its multiplication of perspectives and textures, and simple, almost austere, with the coldness of the building materials and the vegetation stuck to the earth, using a monochrome colour palette. Its vanishing points towards infinity contrast with the outlines of the surrounding hills.
Estudio Laterna is an interdisciplinary design space based in Ibiza that integrates landscape architecture with a strong artistic approach. The studio was founded in 2004 by Andrea Sánchez and Ricardo Jarpa. The landscape architectural designs are led by Andrea with a team of landscape architects, biologists and artists. The application of the designs is directed by Ricardo with a team of professional gardeners and artisans. Together they create an alternative form of landscape architectural practice that unites design and exploration, pushing boundaries, connecting nature and its realms, speaking the ever evolving language of the more-than-human. This intertwining was the leitmotif that also inspired them to create Estudio Laterna Art Gallery, a nest of art in the heart of Ibiza island, manifesting a new perspective for local communities and international artists. Estudio Laterna is also developing other creative projects such as Kossmun, an experimental outdoor furniture brand.
info@estudio-laterna.com
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Venda de Parada 12
Santa Gertrudis de Fruteira,
07814 Santa Eulalia des Riu, Ibiza
Open monday to wendesday from 9am to 7pm,
thursday and friday from 9am to 10pm