marià castelló martínez restores landmark 18th century tower on a mediterranean island

on an island in the mediterranean, architect marià castelló martínez has restored a two-storey monument that dates back to the mid-18th century.

on an island in the mediterranean, architect marià castelló martínez has restored a two-storey monument that dates back to the mid-18th century. completed in 1763, the ‘pi des català’ tower is one of four defensive lookout structures on the coast of formentera, the smallest of spain’s balearic islands. the landmark structure, which measures approximately 12.5 meters in diameter, has now been sensitively renovated and is able to facilitate public visits.

throughout the project, marià castelló martínez has used a limited palette of materials that each relate closely in tone to their original counterparts. in places, weathering steel has been used to emphasize the unapologetically contemporary nature of the intervention. as the building is a protected landmark, the brief stressed the importance of retaining the building’s character and identity. consequently, architectural changes have only been made for safety reasons or where structurally necessary.

upon entry via a new corten-framed doorway, visitors are greeted with the tower’s largest space. here, the original stone staircase has been replaced with a steel structure hung from above. when in use as a defensive lookout, the building was accessed at its upper level for security reasons. this entrance was guarded by a machicolation — an overhead opening, through which stones or boiling liquids could be dropped on attackers. the aperture is accessed via a new spiral staircase that leads to the rooftop deck.