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— You bought Alemanys 5 about 10 years ago. When did you start remodeling it?
Juan Manuel: “Yes, we bought it 10 years ago but it was in a very bad state structurally, because there had been some recent alterations to it. My wife, who is the architect, took quite a lot of time designing the different spaces and once we had agreed on the layout of the building, we needed a construction company that was able to understand the old, but open to the new as well.
Overall the work took more than 3 years, because each step was difficult. When you start doing things in an older house, you tend to find surprises and you have to reconsider what to do.
When we bought the house our idea was to live and work there, but during that time we had children and had settled in Barcelona, so it was difficult to change everything. So now we are using it as a vacation home and rent it out.”
Overall the work took more than 3 years, because each step was difficult. When you start doing things in an older house, you tend to find surprises and you have to reconsider what to do.
When we bought the house our idea was to live and work there, but during that time we had children and had settled in Barcelona, so it was difficult to change everything. So now we are using it as a vacation home and rent it out.”
— Alemanys 5 garden
— Girona looks like a very rich, historic city.
Juan Manuel: “It’s one of the richest cities in Spain. People don’t show their wealth here, but you can feel it.
The old city center is one of the best-preserved areas in Spain, together with Toledo. It has been touched by a lot of cultures. In fact, in the 14th Century, Girona had one of the main Kabbalistic schools of the Jewish world and you can still find traces of its Roman and French past as well.”
The old city center is one of the best-preserved areas in Spain, together with Toledo. It has been touched by a lot of cultures. In fact, in the 14th Century, Girona had one of the main Kabbalistic schools of the Jewish world and you can still find traces of its Roman and French past as well.”
— El Badiu bathroom
— Coming back to Alemanys 5, who designed the interior, the furniture?
Juan Manuel: “That is one of the things I like about Alemanys 5, because a lot of friends helped us in different areas.
My wife was responsible for the interior design as well and she was assisted by some good friends who are specialists in different areas. The furniture for example is from a friend who owns a magnificent studio for decoration in Girona. The lighting was done by a friend from Bilbao, the kitchen was designed by a friend who is a specialist in kitchens and the pool was built by yet another friend of ours. And the dining table was my project. It is in the kitchen but it has wheels so you can easily move it to the veranda and enjoy dinner outside.”
My wife was responsible for the interior design as well and she was assisted by some good friends who are specialists in different areas. The furniture for example is from a friend who owns a magnificent studio for decoration in Girona. The lighting was done by a friend from Bilbao, the kitchen was designed by a friend who is a specialist in kitchens and the pool was built by yet another friend of ours. And the dining table was my project. It is in the kitchen but it has wheels so you can easily move it to the veranda and enjoy dinner outside.”
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— Was it your wife who pushed it into the direction of mixing modern and old?
Juan Manuel: “My wife likes modern architecture. When she approached the old house, she did it in a modern way but also wanted a dialogue with the old. Like an evolution without breaking with the past. She worked a lot with natural light and the quality of the materials — stone, wood, iron and concrete.
She is also very concerned about ‘healthy’ architecture, taking into consideration approaches like Feng Shui and the influences of water and energy currents. What is amazing, is that the main walls of the house, which is 500 years old, are perfectly places to avoid the bad energy currents in the living spaces. So you sleep very well and it gives you a lot of energy. We are very happy with the results. It’s beautiful and healthy.”
She is also very concerned about ‘healthy’ architecture, taking into consideration approaches like Feng Shui and the influences of water and energy currents. What is amazing, is that the main walls of the house, which is 500 years old, are perfectly places to avoid the bad energy currents in the living spaces. So you sleep very well and it gives you a lot of energy. We are very happy with the results. It’s beautiful and healthy.”
— Alemanys 5 interior
— Tell me a bit about the location of Alemanys 5.
Juan Manuel: “Yeah. It’s also a good mix between city and countryside where we are here. Girona has about 80,000 inhabitants but it only takes about 5 minutes by bike to get up into the mountains and the forest. On the other hand, we have the second best restaurant in the world — the three Michelin star El Celler de Can Roca — just fifteen minutes from here. There are lots of other charming and cozy restaurants and bars, very good shops, museums, theaters and cinemas in Girona, so you have a lot of cultural life here too.
And Girona is very well-placed to go to a lot of places. You are only 1 hour from Barcelona, in 1.5 hours you can be skiing and in less than 40 minutes you can be on the beach diving or swimming. At the end of 2012, we will have a high speed train connecting Girona with Barcelona in only half an hour, and with Paris in 5 or 6 hours. So that’s strategically very well situated, isn’t it?”
And Girona is very well-placed to go to a lot of places. You are only 1 hour from Barcelona, in 1.5 hours you can be skiing and in less than 40 minutes you can be on the beach diving or swimming. At the end of 2012, we will have a high speed train connecting Girona with Barcelona in only half an hour, and with Paris in 5 or 6 hours. So that’s strategically very well situated, isn’t it?”
— El Badiu living room
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