Josep Lluís Sert

Another example of how modern architecture can be done with grace and respect is the urbanisation of Can Pep Simó by Josep Lluís Sert.

Much like Erwin Broner’s house across the Talamanca Bay, Sert showed us the way to be avant-garde and modern without losing sight of what history taught us.

Nowadays, it seems there is a faux binary contradiction between two seemingly opposing architectural belief systems: modernism vs. tradition. On the contrary, we believe in the evolutionary process of architectural progress as incremental improvements rather than a radical tabula rasa. Truth be told, when Mies van der Rohe first designed his legendary Barcelona Pavilion opposite the Balearic Sea, he took an audacious leap into modernism and turned things upside down. But still, he was heavily influenced by the classic architectural virtues of proportion, detail, rhythm, space and light.

In Pep Simó, Sert also exploited these themes to the fullest in his own, unique way. Notice inside how the beautifully applied stucco with its soft edges gently lets the light caress its surface, creating a warm and neutral backdrop for daily living. Staircases are built as playful backdrops for the gracious home dweller. Their terracotta tiles invite you to walk up or down whilst subtly letting you indulge in the three-dimensional vistas throughout the house. Outside, the way the gentle curve of the terraced wall leads you to the pathway and takes you across ‘dancing steps’ over to the protruding pool is just … sexy!

Sert intelligently reinterpreted and reintegrated typical elements of traditional Ibicenco architecture in his own design: white plastered wall coverings and window architraves are set against brown stucco facades and drystone walls. Expressive gargoyles bluntly show how the water finds its way down when it rains. Modern, big, steel frame windows and iron hand railings are set back discretely from the outside shell. Terraces are covered with adjustable wooden shutters and provide year-round sun protection for an inside-outside experience. A different kind of ‘flowing spaces’.

Sert fully understood and embraced local, vernacular architecture before subtly introducing his own personal accents. Add what should, respect what is.

Credits:
Urbanización Can Pep Simó, Josep Lluís Sert. Photo: Arquitectura Mediteranea - Ibiza