THE IBIZAN HOUSE

A Key to Unlocking Wonders of the Past

Blakstad combines traditional textures and current desires: wood, limewash and stone are hewn into polished, clean lines and witty flourishes. Skylights let in light during the shorter months, and can be opened in the Summer to create ventilation, and the interrelation between the exterior and interior does not compromise the magnificence of nature. It is a process that is both intellectual and intuitive, which leads to a sense of well-being and harmony.

We meet architect Rolf Blakstad in his office, a calm and welcoming space, the walls lined with books and striking artworks, all contributing to a creative energy filling the room. Rolf - who was born and raised in Ibiza – is head of design at the internationally acclaimed family firm, renowned for their awe-inspiring restoration of Ibiza's vernacular architecture.

In 1956, Rolf Blakstad’s parents, Rolph and Mary, had initially set out for a new life in Mallorca when they stumbled upon the relatively undiscovered, largely untouched, island of Ibiza and decided to settle there, raising their young family amongst the white cubic homes and cobbled streets.

Rolf’s father, who was a restorer working for British museums, a documentary filmmaker and a scholar, spent his life connecting the local architectural styles to similar trends in the history of the Levant, documenting evidence of an ancient Ibiza that was being transformed by tourism. He described the town of Ibiza as – white, pyramidal, a terraced hill rising from the sea with tier upon tier of crystalline cubical houses. They seemed more vegetable than mineral, the softened contours appearing to grow organically out of the ground.

Ibiza has been inhabited by Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans, Vandals, Byzantines, Moors, Catalans. Over recent decades the island has seen invasions of a more benign kind, though still a threat to the preservation of the island’s cultural legacy.

Your family name is synonymous with Ibiza’s traditional fincas. How has the form and function been adapted to suit modern lifestyles?

The original fincas were farmhouses and functioned as part of the farm as a whole. It was one more tool in the set for daily life. It was an active part of the livelihood but it was just a workspace sometimes used for family gatherings. Otherwise life in the Mediterranean is spent primarily outdoors. So, to make the finca suitable for our lifestyles some compromise has to be made, fusing tradition with function, form and taste. The interrelation of interior and exterior spaces is always considered, to fully integrate the house into the surrounding landscape.

In brief, what is the history of the Ibizan House?

It is possible that the architectural language of the Ibizan finca was introduced to the island in the 7th Century BC, brought in from the Near East, from what is today Lebanon by the Phoenicians – which in turn goes back to the 7th millennium BC, what is now eastern Turkey and Syria. It is worth noting that archaeological studies here are ongoing.

EBM: What in your opinion is so special about this island that people want to move here? As an architecture firm you have a prominent presence in Ibiza, do you think you influence creatives in any way?

People move to Ibiza because they want to live here. It has been a haven for intellectuals since the 1930s. So for about a century this island has had a strong attraction. Although I am a Spanish national, and I am grateful to be received in my parental adopted land, and although we are integrated, I do not consider myself local. I see myself as an observer, a recorder more than an influencer. We might have some influence though it is not our intention. If there is something positive that comes from what we do, at no point do we expect to be influencers.

Tell us about how you work with the families whose homes you create?

Most of our work is focused around the people who live in the houses we design. We are not developers, and the process of realising these homes is a collaborative one. A house has the same ingredients and uses, so it’s about adapting these elements to a way of life, of which there is no one correct way, so that the house can adapt to the evolution of those who reside within it.

Have there been any recent changes in the way of life here, and how we utilise our living spaces that you may have noticed?

Since the pandemic, many people are living and working in the same space. For homeowners in Ibiza this has enabled them to move here, or spend more time here. Travelling to the island is not that easy, so these shifts have been positive for the island, for many businesses to extend their seasons.

Ibiza has a strong sense of local community, how are you involved?

We collaborate with young sports clubs who do not have as many opportunities as they would in a larger community. As this island is subject to a holiday/party environment, we seek to encourage teenagers to take up sport. We also try to publish and support publications, and self-publish books about local cultural heritage. Thank God we’re not publishers, we would have gone bankrupt a long time ago!

EBM: Since you reside on an island, how do you retain connection to current discourse in architectural design?

Unlike Malta, Mallorca and Menorca, Ibiza does not have any megalithic sites. It is important to leave the island and open your horizons, seeking inspiration by travelling to new places, and it is often to the past that I look. We tend to view the past with jaded vision, with the arrogance of thinking that what came before us was primitive, yet intellectually we are not that different from our ancestors – the technological advancements they had all those millennia ago when they built these temples, is mind blowing.

Islanders are isolated, cut off, and the community can become selfcentred only observing itself, as a community forgets that there is a diverse world out there. We are unique, but not more or less than anywhere else, so it is especially important to get off the island and open your horizons.