The “House on the Cliffs,” a spectacular residence in the Mediterranean
Granada // Spain

Architects Pablo Gil and Jaime Bartolomé were faced with a major challenge: a young couple wanted to take up residence right amid the cliffs with a view of the Mediterranean Sea on a rugged piece of land steeply shelving towards the sea at an angle of 42 degrees.

Gil and Bartolomé came up with the ingenious solution of embedding the house into its beautiful surroundings whilst allowing for stunning views of the sea. They decided to “carve out” the cliffs to create space for living. Consequently, the two floors of the building are largely concealed inside the rock. The structure is covered by a wave-shaped, galvanised roof mimicking the undulations of the cliffs. The result is an impressive property striking a balance between nature and architecture. Aesthetically speaking, this unique house is quite a gem. From the outside, you peer into intriguing cavelike interiors. Both the interior design and the roof were inspired by works of the famous Spanish architect Gaudì. Even the furniture was designed in the same vein.

The large living area inside covers two floors and opens up to an overhanging terrace framed by a roof designed like an organic bracket on the upper floor, while the lower floor gives access to a pool. The bedrooms are on the upper floor where skylights and glass balconies offer the most outstanding views of the sea.

Since the whole structure was built into a cliff and any openings in the building were arranged in a sophisticated manner, inside temperature is a constant 19.5 degrees centigrade, which feels perfectly right in Andalusia.

The “House on the Cliffs” was constructed in 2015, during an economic crisis. In order to support local tradesmen, the builders decided to use furniture involving highly of skilled craftsmanship to give experienced classical tradesmen a chance to revive their art in a modern structure.


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Project: The House on the Cliffs
Location: Spain
Architect: GilBartolomé / Pablo Gil and Jaime Bartolomé
Photographers: Jesús Granada