French architect Philippe Starck has recently designed this striking red cube which houses the LA Almazara olive mill museum and restaurant in Andalusia. The building is impressively adorned with symbols that connect to the rich heritage of the region. Nestled among olive groves on a 25-hectare estate near Ronda, it was constructed for LA Organic, aiming to promote oleo tourism – a tourism kind focused on olive oil production. With grand symbols that showcase the “magic and poetry” of the area, it sports a bull’s horn crafted from Corten steel and a carved eye that symbolizes the locality’s ties to the surrealist movement.
Designer: Philippe Starck
“LA Almazara is surrounded by vast olive groves, bathed in the warm, strong lights of Andalusia. That inspired the radical approach I had to adopt for this project. Everything had to be extraordinary, out-of-scale, and a bit strange, and surrealist. The surroundings are full of fertile surprises reflecting Andalusian symbols,” said Starck. “The outer structure appears as a colossal monolithic red block, almost like it has fallen from above,” he added. “A gigantic eye on the facade captures the watchfulness of famed Andalusian surrealist artists, while the smoke seeping from it conveys a sense of mystery.”
The interior spaces aim to be an “inhabitable work of art”. A restaurant area is positioned under a suspended metal pipe and funnel, reminiscent of the oil production process, and includes a wing-like feature that symbolizes the Andalusian inventor believed to be the first human to attain flight.
The environment features a cozy seating area around a fireplace, which is situated below an oversized bullfighting sword leaning against the wall. This leads to a cantilevered terrace, supported by enormous metal chains, offering beautiful views of the surrounding landscape, creating a stark contrast to the building’s dark interior. The structure also has two additional floors, which houses museum spaces and the facilities for producing extra virgin olive oil. Along with the outdoor walking trails, there are sculptures by Starck and other visitor amenities.
“Upon entering, you immediately notice the striking contrast in illumination. Inside the building, it’s dark and cool, which respects and enhances the delicate olive oil production process,” noted Starck. “Yet the dim interiors also feature powerful symbols, like a monumental half-olive set in the rusty steel wall and a metal pipe that pierces the building without ever exiting,” he concluded.
