Sant Llorenç - Menorca - Balearic Islands - Spain

2019

43 rooms, 1 vegetable garden, 9 private houses with swimming pools, 1 indoor restaurant and cocktail bar, 30 hectares, 1 large outdoor swimming pool, 1 poolside cocktail bar, 1 outdoor restaurant…

Menorca Experimental is a 30-hectare estate near Alaior, Menorca, imagined as the summer residence of an artist who exists only in our imagination. Just as Miró found inspiration in Mallorca, Dalí in Cadaqués, and Picasso on the French Riviera, this is a place devoted to drawing, contemplation, meditation, music, swimming, watching the sunset and, above all, taking the time to do nothing, surrounded by an extraordinary landscape.

The overall aesthetic of the hotel was conceived as an invitation to creativity and inspiration.

Dorothée Meilichzon and her team began by drawing on Menorca’s traditional craftsmanship and local materials: stone, built-in concrete furniture, terracotta, semicircular forms, architraves, wooden shutters, leather and reclaimed materials from the estate’s former farm buildings, including wooden beams, roof tiles and marès stone.

These elements were combined with distinctive details and bespoke designs: colourful door architraves, rounded concrete headboards and bathroom vanities, vibrant combinations of cement and lacquer, terracotta, and handmade glazed tiles.

The furniture was crafted by local artisans on the island, following Dorothée’s designs.

Dorothée also collaborated with a number of talented creatives to create a unique, handcrafted experience in Menorca:

KAREL BALAS created all the graphic elements, including a hand-drawn alphabet and a series of illustrations inspired by the ink drawings of Miró and Picasso.

LRNCE designed a collection of bespoke handwoven blankets, made in Marrakech exclusively for the hotel. Their illustrations echo Karel’s drawings and Dorothée’s colour palette.

Léa Munsch hand-shaped large-scale light fixtures from a specially developed clay, working from Dorothée’s designs.

The outdoor spaces are an essential part of the project. We preserved the local plant species, allowing nature to continue reclaiming the estate and maintaining its original character.

A vegetable garden supplies the restaurant and cocktail bar with fresh fruit and vegetables, further connecting the project to its landscape and its Mediterranean roots.

Client : Experimental Group

Interior Architecture + Design : Dorothee Meilichzon

Graphic Design : Fovea - Karel Balas

Photography : Karel Balas