Seven of the world’ s most acclaimed architects have been invited to design seven villas, creating the ultimate representation of their ethos and aesthetic, tailor made for the site and climate. Each villa sits on a private and secure 10,000 square metre( one hectare) plot, yet the hope is that the seven owners and their families will ultimately come together, finding shared ground in the journeys that have brought them to this place.
In many respects, La Reserva is the culmination of the Sotogrande project. Founded in 1962, the community was a refined and discrete destination from the outset, intended as a place to escape from an increasingly media-saturated world. On this sheltered coast, residents found privacy with style in amongst an environment of exceptional quality, from the design and materials used to the way that space, light and architecture reached out to embrace the Spanish skies. These twenty square kilometres have now served as a distinctive retreat for many decades, with five worldacclaimed golf clubs, some of the world’ s best Polo fields, tennis and racquet clubs, sailing facilities, an equestrian centre and 1,400 berth marina, as well as a selection of the region’ s best restaurants.
La Reserva shares all this and more. The seven villas are the work of some of the biggest names in contemporary architecture, including Ben van Berkel of the Amsterdam-based UNStudio, best known for their fluid, elegant villas and bold, sculptural towers. Carlos Ferrater, who heads up the Office of Architecture in Barcelona brings a distinctive angular twist to the white-walled perfectionism of Mediterranean Modern, creating public and private spaces that are refined, gracious and bold. The London office of Philip Gumuchdjian has worked all over the world, with works ranging from tiny boathouses to a collaboration with the legendary Japanese architect Shigeru Ban on the Pompidou Gallery in Metz, France. The Valencian practice of Fran Silvestre shares a delight in the abstract and architectonic possibilities of solids and voids. Silvestre’ s white-walled architecture is never plain, but always spectacular- an abstract canvas for living. Jan Jensen, founding partner of the Oslo firm of Jensen & Skodvin, creates buildings with a strong connection to their environment, emphasising natural materials and traditional craft in a modern shell. Marcio Kogan, founder of Studio Mk27 in São Paolo, has a similarly close relationship with materials and place, while the Swedish architect Andreas Martin- Löf creates houses that frame their spectacular surroundings.
Sotogrande will provide the perfect canvas for these seven skilled practitioners. Each house will share a sense of grand scale and great occasion, translated through seven very different architectural approaches but all including spacious entertaining rooms and living areas, as well as facilities like pools, wine cellars, gyms and media rooms, staff accommodation, ample parking and studios or art rooms. Amenities include access to Sotogrande’ s long-established facilities as well as the private new Country Club currently under construction at La Reserva. Here will be an exceptional health and wellness spa, lagoons, tennis club, trails for cyclying, horseriding or strolling, and plenty of activities dedicated exclusively to children’ s enjoyment.
This is a landscape steeped in prehistoric legacy, with a crucial role in the history of modern Spain. Wildlife abounds around the surrounding 1,500-hectare nature reserve, with its rare marshland and many indigenous species. Jean Mus’ vision for the landscape embraces Sotogrande’ s wild and beautiful nature, with authentic Mediterranean flora mixed with hard landscaping that utilises the long-standing Spanish tradition of building with stone.
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