Beachfront Splendour at Los Monteros

WORDS MICHEL CRUZ PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF ENGEL & VÖLKERS

AN ARCHITECTURAL MASTERPIECE

ON THE EDGE OF THE WATER

A prime location on the beach at Los Monteros merits a home to match, and with inspired architectural styling by González & Jacobson what it has is a modern masterpiece.

It must be quite daunting to find such a top beachfront location in Marbella and then have to create a property truly deserving of it. The responsibility for owner and architect alike is weighty indeed, but especially the latter also derives a great deal of inspiration from such a singular setting. This is clearly the case with this property so eloquently set within a few paces of one of the finest beaches on the Costa del Sol. It appears the architect was truly inspired by this setting, for the villa blends smoothly into its surroundings while adding a visual highlight and maximising those amazing sea views. Its lines are mesmerising, all the more so for the angles that interplay with light and shadows. One senses immediately that this is a property of architectural magnitude, a modern masterpiece on the shores of Marbella. The iconic Hotel Los Monteros Spa & Golf Resort is close by, along with its racquet club and elegant five-star amenities, while its La Cabane beach club is one of the most refined of the wide choice of seaside venues that dot this part of the coast. From within the leafy residential setting of this Los Monteros seaside villa, you will also have the choice of three golf courses on your doorstep, not to mention access to most parts of Marbella within little more than ten minutes. ›

However, the thing that will grab your attention most is the view – both of the Mediterranean Sea prospect and of the property itself, for this is a villa whose styling really catches the eye. This is partly thanks to beautifully elongated forms that create sleek architectural lines of crisp white against the blue of skies and the green of the garden, but also due to the skilful use of materials and volumes that mesmerise the senses.

CONTEMPORARY MODERNISM

In fact, as befits a fine architectural villa, there is something distantly nautical about the convergence of sleekly cut lines. White meets natural stone in the exterior, where a sense of parallax adds to the drama of the design in a property where no two angles appear to be right and no two lines parallel. Of course, such conventional geometric features are to be found, but they are outnumbered by more interesting ones that give this property a character and elegance of its own.

Impressive too is the way in which form and function are balanced, for the mastery of this villa is the very manner in which beauty and efficiency are harmonised, and the mundane practicality of a home is infused with a sense of modern mystery. The styling, build quality and technological amenities of the villa are thoroughly contemporary, but it carries with it more than a hint of early modern inspiration.

Today’s architecture is not a new thing; it is the culmination of a process that began over a century ago and produced some of the greatest ever works of home design. Many of these date back to the 1950s and 1960s, to the Modernist period of unforgettable villa creations. Consciously or not, they continue to inspire most of our top contemporary architects, from the USA to Marbella, and again here on the shores of Los Monteros. ›

ARCHITECTURE INSIDE AND OUT

If the exterior of this modern villa, with its imposing rooflines and floating bridges, is impressive, then the interior does not fail to live up to the high standards set when you enter through the gate. Step into the house itself and the same intriguingly angled elegance engages the senses just as it produces a harmony of detail. The spacious entrance, clad in specially sourced Italian porcelain tiles in light tones, seamlessly leads on in open plan to the lounge and dining area.

Natural light and views of greenery abound, and once again you’re overcome with a touch of delightful dejá vu as the interior spaces and their furnishing recapture the excitement of a 1950s masterpiece by Saarinen. Many Marbella homes claim to be modern, but this property is of another level, for it looks like a sophisticated architectural villa while also feeling like a stylish home. The living spaces flow effortlessly onto one-another, and yet they feel intimate and cosy.

This is true of the stateof-the-art Gaggenau kitchen, which like most parts of the villa opens up to the exterior through sliding doors that make the room simply merge with the terrace and the fresh air beyond. If this is a villa that leaps from the pages of a Taschen collectible, then it is also a very practical home with beautifully concealed cupboards and machine rooms whose lacquered façades reveal a deft hand at turning the functional into a design feature. ›

It feels like a cliché but I don’t know how else to express the sense of privileged lifestyle that this property conjures up. Certainly, it is beyond the conventional Marbella standard, as high as it usually is, because this feels like an international villa – the kind you’d normally find in Miami, Los Angeles or Dubai, and we are privileged to have it in our midst here. This is not because it is the most adorned home in Marbella, but because its design and detailing are exceptional. A ground floor suite is both practical and attractive, and if you thought it might also double as an office, forget it – that has already been thought of, for also on the lower level of the villa is a spacious office with boardroom feel and perhaps the strongest nautical element within the property. Take the sweeping modern stairs – or in fact the lift – up to the first floor, and the delightful interplay of angles, forms and light continue from below.

The upper floor contains four bedroom suites, including the master suite that is not surprisingly sumptuous and inviting, its luxuriantly spacious and beautifully appointed bathroom a break with the strict minimalism of recent years while retaining the harmony of style and décor that is characteristic of this villa. It is one of the showpieces of a stand-out home, with the kind of sea views to match.

From most rooms you can follow the fresh sea air to the terrace to take in those views and look down the garden ›

and heated pool with sundeck. The lower level of the property features a gallery-style garage for your classic and modern car collection, along with a laundry and a pre-fitted staff apartment, kitchen as well as spaces suitable for a spa, cinema room, entertainment area or additional accommodation, but this is a property that is so much more than the sum of its parts and a list of villa amenities. Above all, it is a superbly stylish modern home made for the ultimate Marbella lifestyle.

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www.engelvoelkers.com/Marbella

g ENGEL & VÖLKERS MARBELLA Golden Mile Tel: (+34) 952 868 406. MarbellaGoldenMile@engelvoelkers.com www.engelvoelkers.com/Marbella