Press
Israeli architect will build a 20 million dollar villa in Ibiza luxury complex
Architect Ami Smelczman was selected with 18 architects to design a prestigious village on the Spanish island, which will include about 50 designed villas designed for the world’s richest
The Spanish island of Ibiza is known as a place for party lovers, but a particularly ambitious real estate project seeks to change its face: 18 architects have been selected in recent months to design an area of 43 acres of upscale neighborhood of 50 villas, about 1 acre per lot, up on a green mountain with Balearic Sea views.
The prestigious village will be called Sabina, and among the architects who designed the luxury villas is also Israeli architect Ami Smelczman, who submitted plans for two villas according to his personal vision, alongside senior architectural figures including American Rick Joy, British David Chipperfield and Italian Matteo Thun.
The cost of establishing the entire villa village is estimated at $ 400 million, and the price of each villa will range from $ 10 million to $ 22 million. Each villa is expected to include at least six bedrooms, a wine cellar and a spa or gym.
The design vision for the village is that the architects selected for the project will be able to realize their personal vision, without aligning with a collective vision and almost without creative limitations. The villas will be built in separate complexes, but a common center will be built in the heart of the village, including a pool, spa, restaurant, nightclub and more.
Smelczman and his firm, GSARCH Architects, previously designed a village of villas in Corsica Island that stood out in an attempt to incorporate the construction into the topography and use local materials. In the Sabina project, Smelczman is expected to embed the structure within the terrain settings, and also to connect between the interior space and the existing topography conditions. “We will seek to blur the differences between interior and exterior, and to bring nature indoors as much as possible,” Schmelzman explains. “There will be use of the local stone to create a sense of connection to the local area and culture, and I will maintain minimalist lines.”
Behind the ambitious venture is British multimillionaire Anton Bilton, owner of London real estate firm RAVEN. Bilton, who has been ranked in Britain’s list of the richest 1,000 in the Sunday Times, has made his fortune by buying huge warehouses in Russia, converting them into work compounds, and renting them to huge international companies.
Bilton is known as an architectural enthusiast, and the project at Ibiza is branded as an architectural village for the knowledgeable. The campaign targeted for the project is expected to focus on architects and their work and will include a documentary and a book that will focus on the vision and process behind each project.
Bilton’s concept is to establish an international community for members of the upper class who have an appreciation for unique architecture, space and privacy, and who have a desire for a small, exclusive community life.
The Marker Financial Daily Haaretz Newspaper. Translation: Courtesy of Mili Neeman