La Muralla Roja Ricardo Bofill

Designer Biography

Ricardo Bofill is a Spanish architect. He was born on December 5, 1939, in Barcelona, Spain, to a Catalan father and a Venetian mother. He went to school in Barcelona, Spain; at Escuela Tecnica Superior de Arquitectura, in 1955. In 1957 he attended the Architecture University of Geneva, Switzerland. Then in 1960 he made the Taller de Arquitectura in Barcelona, Spain. He is a well-known post-modern Spanish architect who iintroduced modern construction techniques. He was able to incorporate a Classical touch into his designs which are inspired by the opulence and artistic extravagance of the Louis XIV era. He even wrote a book called La Ciudad del Arquitecto.

Building Biography

La Muralla Roja is located at Partida Manzanera, 3, 03710 Calpe, Alicante, Spain. It was designed and built for Palomar S.A. in 1968 and finished construction in 1973. La Muralla was built in the La Manzanera neighborhood and resembles a fortress on the sea. The structures extend from steep cliffs and look out over the lake. They are joined by a system of interconnecting staircases, platforms, and bridges. The fifty apartments in the project are equally complicated, coming in three distinct sizes.

Floor Plan

La Muralla Roja’s geometric layout, which has been called a “labyrinth,” was inspired by the Greek cross. Each arm of a cross, which is arranged in various ways, is five meters long. They connect at the service towers, which house the restrooms and kitchens.

Color Palette

The walls painted in various hues of red and staircases painted in blue to either contrast with or complement the sky.

Summary and Conclusion

La Muralla Roja’s use of color is without a doubt its most eye-catching aspect. The red color painted on the building’s outer wall gives it the moniker “La Muralla Roja,” which translates to “The Red Wall.”

The crimson emphasizes the structure’s striking contrast with the rocky backdrop and is exquisitely realized. Bofill used a variety of blue hues inside the structure, including violet, indigo, and sky blue, to both contrast and meld with the clear Mediterranean sky. La Muralla Roja features an arresting interaction between light and shadow thanks to the spectacular usage of colors in varied intensities. This artful blending of color, light, and shadow enhances the feeling of space.

References

“Building Brilliance: La Muralla Roja (the Red Wall) - LZF Lamps.” Building Brilliance:

La Muralla Roja (The Red Wall) - LZF Lamps, https://blog.lzf-lamps.com/building-brilliance-la-muralla-roja-the-red-wall#:~:text=Described%20as%20 a%20’labyrinth’%2C,house%20the%20kitchens%20and%20bathrooms.

In Memoriam: Ricardo Bofill, 15 Jan. 2022, https://www.goldtrezzini.ru/en/ in-memoriam-ricardo-bofill/.

“Ricardo Bofill Architect: Biography, Buildings, Projects and Facts.” Famous Architects, 17 Dec. 2015, https://www.famous-architects.org/ricardo-bofill/. Vinci, Rossana.

“Architecture Meets Perfect Colour Palette.” Archilovers, Archilovers.