Can Santacilia is a residential project of 3300 m2 with 15 dwellings and common areas. It is a careful renovation of two buildings located in the heart of the old town of Palma de Mallorca. The main building appears in the records of the city since 1576 as Can Santacilia although its origin dates back to the 12th or 13th century. As we know it today, it was built in the 16th century and reformed in the 18th century. The building has a history of more than 400 years, althought we found it largely modified and undermined. 

One of the main challenges in restoring this building is its historical responsibility—that is, investigating and recovering the architectural elements and spaces that have been altered over time. It's not a question of erasing or hiding all those alterations; it's about recovering its splendor. In order to recover an ideal past, that we cannot know exactly, it was a matter of discovering different stages and interventions, recognising elements of value in each one of them. 

On the one hand, a modern, comfortable residential building was required, with all the services and facilities needed in a contemporary lifestyle. On the other hand, we are faced with a complex and divided structure, difficult to integrate with a 16th century protected façade and volume. OHLAB’s renovation project takes advantage of the complexity of the existing building as a potential to generate unexpected spaces where each dwelling is totally different. The project resolves each dwelling with an individualised and unique distribution. The solutions in turn converts the entire building into a project that bases its uniqueness on the recovery of the historical essence of the building and the commitment to contemporaneity. 

The selection of natural, noble, local materials, emphasising the Mediterranean essence, has been key. A simple palette of natural materials is continued throughout the project. It combines the restoration of historical elements. These materials are combined with the introduction of new noble ones, such as antique bronze pieces, local stones, mirrored cloths, porcelain details, local linen and cotton textiles. 

The project recovers the entrance courtyard that had been altered in the reforms of the last century, restoring the old splendor of this space. The courtyard becomes the main entrance to the heart of the building, communicating with the landscaped terraces upwards and with the communal areas such as a gym and an indoor swimming pool with a spa that directly overlooks the courtyard. A second inner courtyard has been also recovered as a garden for one of the dwellings and five terraces for different dwellings.