At a green hillside and facing the tranquility of the valley, we find a real ancient Ibizan finca with the foundations of an original architecture, enhanced by a contemporary gesture, just enough to preserve the original spirit and adapting it to modern needs and style. Among rigorous lines and attention to detail, perfect simplicity contrasts in a visual game with creativity.
Can Basso is a country house more than 300 years old, which reform in 2010 was the work of Francis Dimmers and Ibizan architect Angela Molina. The project was based on preserving the original features of the traditional Ibizan rural house and it has had much sense to have proceeded in this way:
Much of the water consumed in the home is due to the conservation of the different storage modules, such as the traditional architectural feature of collecting rain water: the water cistern and the outdoor aljibe. The Façade and the front door are facing south to north, in this way cross ventilation cools the house just as a natural air conditioning. This adds up to the characteristic thick walls of the Ibizan finca that are very effective at isolating the summer heat and the cold in winter. This is an ancient architectural method that has proven more effective in thermic insulation than many of the modern features, in addition to savings in power consumption.
Roofs in Can Basso were rebuilt, former stables fully renovated and converted into living spaces. At first glance, it appears as a completely original finca, however, entering the rear terrace or the interior of the house a closer inspection allows us to realize that many of the walls are completely new, or that elements like the skylights, the lighting, the open kitchen and the furniture belong to an interior design with a modern character, carefully executed and with attention paid to every detail.
Modern elements in Can Basso are subtly present, almost hidden in built-in wardrobes, the Bulthaup kitchen, Zanotta furniture, Agape baths or in the lighting by Ingo Maurer and Tom Dixon. These are some of the elements that contribute to the modern interior design. One thing is certain, the longer you stay in the property, the more you start to realize that this Ibizan finca ‘of the new era’ was a project carried out by perfectionists with a clear vocation.
© Francis Dimmers / Photos: Greg Jouslin
The house has five double bedrooms and one single bedroom, all with their own bathrooms; there are also a traditional room used as a dining room, an office, a living room and a semi open kitchen, both with access to the front terrace and the swimming pool. The property has 392 m² (4220 ft²) of housing and a plot of 25.000 m² (269.098 ft²), from where you can watch the sunsets in the background of the picturesque Morna Valley.
The two bedrooms in separate units from the main house were ancient stables, now converted into bright and cosy spaces. Each has its own bathroom, with prevailing decorative elements that remind of what it was before. The other two bedrooms in the main house at first glance seem completely new, but the bathrooms with natural stone walls make them harmonise again with the overall style of Can Basso.
© Francis Dimmers / Photos: Greg Jouslin
We find noble and robust materials throughout the property, respecting local traditions and work processes. The ceilings of the house often show juniper trunks, characteristic feature of the traditional Ibizan finca. Windows and skylights that are placed along the country estate Can Basso play delicately with the natural light, thus correcting the main deficiency that these old buildings use to have: external light and the resulting sense of space. We can also observe that the traditional based style is perfectly complemented with modern decorative details, inspired by vintage, like the hanging lamps, the exposed bulbs or the industrial style sinks and bathtubs. The project represents a successful combination of extremes, between the old and traditional and the modern and innovative.
© Francis Dimmers / Photos: Greg Jouslin
Can Basso is just minutes away from the center of Santa Eulalia and its beaches, but it feels like is being more secluded, as the surrounding countryside and neighboring mountain give the impression of the most isolated places on the island. This is an ideal place to experience a vacation surrounded by tranquility, nature and the beauty of experiencing first hand the heritage of Ibiza.
© Francis Dimmers / Photos: Greg Jouslin
The garden surrounding the finca is another point to consider. As could not be otherwise, it is a combination of native and fruit trees characteristic to the island. The Garden vegetation found in Can Basso is the same of an Ibizan rural house, as if it was a crop field but somewhat more ‘aesthetic’ and well mantained. The pool, which at times can seem a natural pond, is enclosed by a tidy and cared lawn and the concrete framing minimalist lines and the colorful Ibizan countryside of predominantly red soil. From the pool area and the terraces we can see the unspoiled rural Ibiza and enjoy the serenity of its atmosphere, whilst all design in this house seems to have been conceived in favor of a harmony of the place.
There are only few projects on the island that have achieved this, not only by the respect which the house was reformed with, but also by the orientation of their living spaces and the way they enlightened the potential of the environment. In the coming years we will see if Can Basso sets a precedent for a new trend in Ibiza, but we should have no doubt there are many options for that to happen.
If you want to know more about the sale of this property, you can visit our website for more information: Can Basso. Ibiza modern finca for sale
References:
CORTELLARO, Steffano. La construcción del territorio de Ibiza: urbanismo, paisaje, arquitectura. Junio de 2013 [fecha de consulta: 25 de noviembre de 2015]
El Tránsito Inicial. Finca Can Basso, el verano en Ibiza (2015). [fecha de consulta: 27 de noviembre de 2015]
Les Voyages d’Ingrid. Ibiza alternatif (2014). [fecha de consulta: 5 de diciembre de 2015]
El Blog de Erik. Can Bassó: la reforma vital de una masía centenaria en Ibiza (2015). [fecha de consulta: 5 de diciembre de 2015]
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