Can Amor de la Isla
Perched above the Mediterranean in the village of Banyalbufar, Can Amor de la Isla is the transformation of a traditional Mallorcan townhouse by Blanca Gardelegui and KOSMOS Architects. Guided by the constraints of its remote location, the renovation embraces an architecture of resourcefulness, where almost every element of the existing house was repaired, adapted, or given a new purpose.
Original floor tiles were recomposed into a large terrazzo surface, an old door was cut in half to become a folding one, and windows and façades were carefully restored rather than replaced. Throughout the house, overlooked objects were transformed into everyday features: ceramic roof tiles and oil funnels became lamps, a discarded cast-iron manhole cover became the base of the stove, and rebar caps were reimagined as door handles. Paint became the project's primary new material, radically transforming the interiors with minimal resource, while traditional Mediterranean chain curtains conceal the kitchen with understated elegance.
The only significant addition is a simple pulley, installed to bring materials and supplies up through the narrow vertical house. Topped with a spherical light, it also becomes a small domestic lighthouse overlooking the sea.
The result is a warm and deeply local home that demonstrates how careful repair, craftsmanship, and imagination can create a contemporary interior with remarkably few new resources.
