Between Land and Sea

Marbella
Just a few steps from the Sierra Blanca mountains in Marbella, southern Spain, Dolce & Gabbana has teamed up with FRESH architectures and Rousseau Dapelo to design a luxury apartment project worthy of the legendary fashion house. Inaugurated in 2026, five large buildings will be constructed along the Golden Mile. Conceived by the architects as timeless masterpieces, these residences will integrate harmoniously into this exceptional location and draw inspiration from the region’s rich cultural heritage. A striking white ceramic moucharabieh facade evokes traditional Hispano-Moorish architecture widespread in Andalusia between the 12th and 16th centuries. Like curtains suspended from the structure, these ceramic veils preserve lightness while reinforcing the horizontality of the slabs and the rhythm of the floors. The interplay of solids and voids created by the positioning of these ceramic elements gives rise to an open-work facade that vibrates under the effect of sunlight. A shimmering glaze adds a precious touch to this deceptively simple cladding. True to the fashion house’s creed of fatto a mano, so important in the design of its fashion and home decor collections, Italian artisans took part in the project to craft the ceramic tiles by hand.
Beyond the aesthetic qualities of this timeless facade, the ceramic also plays a functional role by regulating heat thanks to its sun-shading effect, enhanced by the white color that reflects the sun’s rays. The facade also preserves residents’ privacy by allowing them to enjoy southern light while protecting them from the summer heat and the prying eyes of neighbors. The choice of this immaculate white allows the buildings to blend into Marbella’s architectural style of recent decades and creates an ideal environment to accommodate the eclectic design objects from the Dolce & Gabbana Casa collection that will furnish the project’s interiors. Bright and sophisticated, the resulting architecture masters the codes of its context and offers a chic contemporary version adapted to future climate challenges.

“A monument of detail, material, and light.”
  • Adress
    Marbella Hills
  • FRESH Team Member
    Julien Rousseau
    Giovanna Dapelo
  • Program
    Construction of Luxury Apartments
  • Floor Area
    NC
  • Cost
    NC
  • Client
    Dolce & Gabanna
  • Partners
    NC
  • Performance
    NC
  • Status
    Under consideration