OHLAB fronts new residential complex in palma with sliding wood panels

paseo mallorca 15 by ohlab: a new landmark in palma, spain 

Sited in the sun-blessed and tree-lined promenade of Paseo Mallorca, overlooking the Riera water course, this new residential complex by OHLAB is set to become a landmark in the city of Palma, Spain. The building holds an eye-catching and unusual wooden facade design that takes sustainability, energy efficiency, urban integration, quality of materials, and comfort to new levels. Upon entering Paseo Mallorca 15, one is greeted by a green wall of Spanish cane (Arundo Donax), typical of the Mediterranean riverbed, and a nod to the Riera. This section leads onto a multi-leveled inner courtyard, where a cooling oasis of vegetation invites calm and tranquility. The foliage continues upwards until it reaches the landscaped terraces with pools on the building’s fourth, sixth and eighth floors.

Complementing the green layer is a gentle waterfall that cascades to the floor below, cooling the area in the summer through evapotranspiration and creating a relaxing sound. The inner courtyard also provides lighting and vegetation to the basement, which houses the residents’ pool, gym, and spa, transforming the complex into a unifying vertical axis linking the vegetation and enabling cross-ventilation through the garden for all apartments. 

The residents’ spa area, with walls and floors finished in natural stone, includes a heated indoor pool, steam bath, and changing rooms. Next to the pool is the gym, with large windows overlooking the courtyard garden. Finally, the penthouses at Paseo Mallorca 15 are true urban havens above the city, with landscaped terraces and private mini-pools from where residents can admire the panoramic views of Palma rooftops and the three-lined walk along Riera.

all images © José Hevia

a double-layered facade for year-round comfort

Two types of facades define the outside of Paseo Mallorca 15. The first is a solid, gray stone facade found on the perimeter areas, facing the quieter streets where the bedrooms are located; it provides the necessary protection and defines the area containing the private rooms. Meanwhile, on the side overlooking Paseo Mallorca, the sunniest part, is a second skin made of moving wooden slat panels that block out the sun in the summer, making the most of its rays in the winter, and mark the transition between the home and its surroundings. In addition, that double facade is fitted with large windows for residents to take advantage of the views and enjoy the deciduous trees and winter sun.

‘It is an organic, permeable, and changing layer, an exterior reflection of its interior, a solar filter to modulate light and shade, optimized through solar studies, which adapts to the different climate needs and draws upon the tradition of Majorcan pergolas and shutters,’ writes the OHLAB team. 

the penthouses at Paseo Mallorca 15 with landscaped terraces and private mini-pools

quality materials meet passive house standards

The selection of natural and local materials, highlighting the essence of the Mediterranean, was a critical process for the architects. ‘Finishes have been carefully selected for their quality, taking every detail, texture, and smell into account,’ notes OHLAB. Indeed, a simple palette of fine materials, such as solid doors made of local stone or pieces of aged bronze, characterizes the interiors of the homes at Paseo Mallorca 15. 

As modeled through its unique second skin feature, the project was designed following Passive House standards to achieve maximum energy efficiency and a heating/air-conditioning demand of only 15kWh/(m2y). This means a reduction of almost 90% in terms of air heating and cooling requirements compared to a conventional building, resulting in extremely low energy costs for the owner and the planet. In addition, this construction method falls within the nZEB (nearly zero energy building) standard for consumption.

second skin facade made of sliding wooden slat panels

entrance to the residential complex

a green wall of Spanish cane welcomes residents upon entry to the building

common pool at the basement level

private kitchen area

the second skin casting soothing shadows onto a living room

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project info:

name: Paseo Mallorca 15 

location: Paseo Mallorca, Palma, Spain
client: Ramis Promociones | @ramispromociones

architecture & interiors: OHLAB | @ohlab_architecture
OHLAB team: Paloma Hernaiz, Jaime Oliver, Rebeca Lavín, Robin Harloff, Pedro Rodríguez, Silvia Morais, Mercé Solar, Loreto Angulo, M.Bruna Pisciotta, Tomislav Konjevod, José Allona, Claudio Tagarelli, Eleni Oikonomaki, Agustín Verdejo, Luis Quiles

landscape architecture: Jonathan Bell
building engineer: Bartolomeu Tous
structural engineering consultant: HIMA Estructuras 
wooden facade: GRUPO GUBIA
facilities engineering: M&E Engineering
engineering consultants: AMM Technical group
energy efficiency advisor: José Manuel Busquets, Anne Vogt

photography: José Hevia