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Of all the ways in which one can travel, few are as glamorous as yachting. The privacy, the magnificent unique views and the sheer luxury of some yacht’s amenities make it the world’s lucky few preferred way of vacationing. And even if you don't happen to have your own yahct, this new creation from cult designer Philippe Starck is a must see when in Mallorca, Balearics.
So what if harbours and ports had that same opulent feel? It’s a question the lionized French designer Philippe Starck must have asked himself when he was asked to design Port Adriano marina, a pared down architectural statement made for mega yachts, just half an hour’s drive from Mallorca’s capital Palma de Mallorca.
Created in line with Starck’s famous minimalist lines’, the structure is low slung and elegant – almost invisible. It also houses restaurants, bars, fashion and nautical shops and a car park.
Starck, who’s an avid fan of seaside holidays has designed mega yachts before, and owns a small boat himself. The opportunity to transform what used to be a rather mediocre docking space for yachts and speedboats was one he grabbed with both hands. His priority was to conceal the underground car park as best as possible – his is located below sea level. He tells about this project: ‘‘I’ve seen a lot of harbours - they are all horrible. And there is worse - there are marinas. Marinas for me are basically huge parking lots."
To avoid that rather bleak, industrial look, Starck constructed a linear two-level structure made of concrete columns, a slatted wooden roof and a staircase lit from beneath. Timeless as Starck’s designs tend to be, Port Adriano marina is bound to remain one of the chicest mooring places in the Balearic.
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Get the insider news and lowdown on what we've been up to, where we've been, and who we've met along the way. Be the first to discover new places and get the scoop on our favourites.