''Xanadu'' is an iconic complex of 17 apartments in
Calp
Calpe () or Calp () is a coastal municipality located in the ''comarca'' of Marina Alta, in the province of Alicante, Valencian Community, Spain, by the Mediterranean Sea. It has an area of and a population density of . The city lies at the f ...
,
Spain. It was designed by
Ricardo Bofill Taller de Arquitectura and completed in 1968. It has been ranked among "Ricardo Bofill's 10 Most Iconic Works".
The building is intended to create "a garden city in space", with its vertical shape echoing the nearby
Penyal d'Ifac
Penyal d'Ifac Natural Park ( ca-valencia, Parc Natural del Penyal d'Ifac, es, Parque Natural del Peñón de Ifach) is a natural park situated in Calpe, in the Valencian Community, Spain.
The Penyal d'Ifac is a massive limestone outcrop emerging ...
rock formation. It was inspired by the Utopian practice of
Archigram and its "plug-in city" concept of modular megastructures.
Location
The Xanadu building is located in the urbanization of
Manzanera
Manzanera is a small town and municipality in the province of Teruel, part of the autonomous community of Aragón, Spain. It is in Gúdar-Javalambre
Gúdar-Javalambre is a comarca in Aragon, Spain. The most important town is Mora de Rubielos. ...
Calpe, Spain. It neighbors two other of Ricardo Bofill's structures: The
Muralla Roja and the Social Club of the Manzanera. Xanadu is built over the coastal cliff of Calpe facing the
Mediterranean Sea.
Origin of Name
The name Xanadu references the Chinese summer city of
Kublai Kan and its emperor. The history of the name is commonly interpreted to set a tone of mystery and wealth to the apartment building.
[García Hernández, P. (2013). La agregación modular como mecanismo proyectual residencial en España: el Taller de Arquitectura (Doctoral dissertation, Universitat Ramon Llull).]
Architectural Elements
This exotic structure is 2300 square meters, and is built around its core staircase. Following the vertical shape modules are attached to each level of the structure.
Due to its square modular base several gaps are created around the building. Some of these are used as terraces, however many are useless as they are not accessible from the interior.
The exterior of the building is painted a dark green color with oxidized tones to give a more organic look and associate it further with the
Penyal d'Ifac
Penyal d'Ifac Natural Park ( ca-valencia, Parc Natural del Penyal d'Ifac, es, Parque Natural del Peñón de Ifach) is a natural park situated in Calpe, in the Valencian Community, Spain.
The Penyal d'Ifac is a massive limestone outcrop emerging ...
or its surrounding environment.
Tourist Attraction
The Xanadu building is categorized as a tourist attraction of east coast Spain. It is available to rent on a nightly basis and to walk along its exterior.
See also
*
La Muralla Roja
La Muralla Roja () is a postmodern apartment complex in Manzanera, Calpe, Spain. It is designed by Spanish architect Ricardo Bofill for the client Palomar S.A. in 1968 and fully constructed by 1973. It has been ranked among "Ricardo Bofill's 10 ...
*
Walden 7
*
Les Espaces d'Abraxas
*
List of works by Ricardo Bofill Taller de Arquitectura
Notes
1971 establishments in Spain
Ricardo Bofill buildings
Buildings and structures in the Province of Alicante
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