Hotel Nobis Palma: Where History Informs Design

In the heart of Mallorca’s capital, a centuries-old building has found new life as Hotel Nobis Palma. Once known as Can Oliver, the 2,253-square-metre property on Calle Caputxines has been sensitively transformed into a five-star boutique hotel by Jordi Herrero Arquitectos and Eduardo García Acuña, with interiors by Swedish design studio Wingårdhs.

GALLERY  

Unlike previous proposals that struggled to gain city approval, this iteration reversed the usual approach. Instead of imposing a modern hotel within an historic shell, the architects allowed the building’s own identity to guide the design. The project began with a meticulous architectural survey that revealed traces of the structure’s long evolution, from Arabic coffered ceilings of the 12th century to Gothic paintings and layered facades. These findings were not hidden but celebrated. In the restaurant, a 1950s wall and the original masonry behind it coexist, revealing the passage of time.

Guest rooms retain their spatial proportions, with protected volumes left unaltered. Where bathrooms were required, they were inserted as freestanding steel and glass enclosures, visually detached from the historic envelope and housing modern ventilation systems. Circulation routes were rethought to respect original room volumes, often tunnelling through spaces rather than dividing them.

The attic level, typically reliant on skylights, now benefits from open courtyards carved into the roofline. These garden voids introduce light and vegetation while shielding interiors from Mallorca’s intense heat. All new additions were designed to be reversible and distinct from the historic fabric, ensuring future adaptability. Blackened steel staircases and partitions provide a striking contrast to the recovered stone and plaster surfaces, enhancing the sense of mass and permanence.

Wingårdhs’ interiors introduce a refined softness through custom wood furnishings, rich textiles, and thoughtfully layered lighting. Lush greenery fills courtyards and interiors, bringing natural rhythm to the palette of stone and steel. Subtle luxuries such as flowing drapery and slender furniture temper the austerity of the ancient structure.

By preserving imperfections and embracing contrasts, Hotel Nobis Palma emerges as a living archive of its own history, where contemporary design and heritage coexist in quiet harmony.

Images by José Hevia via Designboom

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