Salobreña’s Cliff House
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This incredible property is an example of modern architecture melding with the surrounding environment.
Cliff house with zinc roof
The family that owned this land were struggling to know what to do with it due to the terrain, which is at a 42 degree incline. Four architectural firms pitched for job to create something comfortable for a family with a young child but also of architectural interest.
GilBartolomé from Madrid
This architectural firm created a design with an zinc-tiled, undulating roof, which the couple were drawn to. You can see why! The firm was launched in 2007 by Pablo Gil and Jaime Bartolome, who studied under Richard Rogers and Zaha Hadid respectively.
The roof
The technique that created the roof is surprisingly cheaper than timber or steel roofing techniques. The formwork was created from a reshapable, metal mesh. Each zinc tile flicks up at one corner. This catches the light and bounces it, creating a glittering object to mirror the sea in front.
The form of the house and the metallic roof produces a calculated aesthetic ambiguity between the natural and the artificial, between the skin of a dragon set in the ground, when seen from below, and the waves of the sea, when seen from above.
GilBartolomé architects
Cave house inspired
The south of Spain is famed for its cave houses. This property takes inspiration from these by being built into the cliffside. Like the cave houses, this helps keep the home at an ambient temperature.
Multiple tiers
Another feature of the home, inspired by the cliffside on which it resides, is the use of multiple tiers inside. This creates maximum floor space, despite the slope. Even the furnishings were designed by the architects. Using resin and fiberglass, it creates a seamless blend between the house outside and the interior.
Views of the Mediterranean
Each of the three bedrooms overlooks the sea, giving views for miles. Even the swimming pool enjoys this same aspect.
Architects: GilBartolomé
Photographer: Jesus Granada
Additional information: Azure Magazine and If It’s Hip It’s Here
