🌟 La Almazara by #PhilippeStarck has opened in Ronda, Spain, marking it as a groundbreaking destination for architecture lovers and cultural enthusiasts alike! 🇪🇸✨ This olive oil mill is the third major work by Starck in Spain, joining his renowned projects in Marbella and Madrid, and promises to be an icon of sustainable design that blends modernity and tradition.
🌿 Built with locally sourced materials, the Almazara pays homage to Spain’s centuries-old olive oil heritage while embracing eco-friendly practices. 🍃 The design harmoniously integrates with the natural landscape, showcasing Starck’s vision of environmental respect and innovative aesthetics. 🖌️🏞️
This extraordinary destination is expected to draw around 40,000 visitors each year, 🎉 offering an immersive cultural experience that includes guided tours 🗺️, exclusive olive oil tastings 🍈🥖, and educational workshops on the art of olive oil production. 👩🏫💡
Set against the spectacular backdrop of the Andalusian mountains, ⛰️ visitors can enjoy sweeping views, lush olive groves 🌳, and thoughtfully designed spaces that evoke a sense of peace and connection to nature. La Almazara is not only a celebration of Spanish heritage but also an inspiring example of sustainable, visionary architecture. 🌍💚
🌟 LA Almazara in Ronda is more than a destination—it’s a place of wonder, transformation, and artistic revelation! 🇪🇸🎨 Described by Philippe Starck as “extraordinary, incredible, and miraculous,” this olive oil mill delivers a powerful, radical experience that merges the deep heritage of olive oil with emotion, symbolism, and surreal artistry. 🖌️✨
For this project, Starck envisioned a minimalistic and timeless design, stripping away all excess to reveal the essentials in their purest form. 🏛️ The result is a monolithic red cube, a bold architectural statement featuring a surrealist twist—a massive steel bull’s horn and a gigantic concrete eye casting black smoke. 👁️🔥 The eye symbolizes the vigilant spirit of Andalusian surrealist artists, while the smoke represents the dreamlike essence of Starck’s vision.
🌿 Inside, visitors encounter a series of symbolic surprises and artistic homages:
- A monumental half-olive embedded in a rusted steel wall, honoring the essence of olive oil.
- A mysterious metal pipe that penetrates the building without an exit point, evoking mystery.
- Running water, suggesting the fluidity and life within the space.
- A massive, headless figure accompanied by an early plane made from fragments, a tribute to invention and daring dreams.
- An oversized bullfighting sword and a grand portrait of its inventor, a nod to Ronda’s rich bullfighting heritage. 🐂🗡️
The journey through LA Almazara is a play of light and shadow. 🌌 Visitors are led into an awe-inspiring darkness, suddenly interrupted by a rectangular beam of light that opens onto a terrace suspended by giant metal chains, creating a dramatic frame for the mythical landscapes of Ronda and Andalusia. 🖼️⛰️ This breathtaking view connects visitors to nature, extending the presence of olive trees and creating a romantic, meandering journey through groves and green alcoves within the plantation. 🌳💚
🌄 LA Almazara offers a sensory experience unlike any other—a timeless fusion of nature, art, and Spanish heritage, where every detail from the structure to the surrounding landscapes speaks to Starck’s visionary approach