Sant Jaume Apartment | OAM Oficina d'Arquitectura a Mallorca

The promoters had it very clear from the beginning, they were looking for a property in the
historic centre of Palma with a lot of character. So when they found this flat, even though it was in
need of extensive renovation and had been uninhabited for a long period of time, they didn't
think twice.

As the promoters were interior designers (Studio Gran) they saw all the hidden potential that
existed and set out to completely refurbish it together with local architecture studio OAM Office
of Architecture in Mallorca.

High ceilings, hydraulic tiles, plaster mouldings, old wooden beams and large openings were the
elements to be preserved and enhanced in this refurbishment located in a century-old building
with listed and protected elements.

It was therefore an exercise of subtraction of elements that had accumulated over time and did
not add value and, consequently, of highlighting the original elements. It was therefore decided to
maintain, for instance, the old exterior joinery with elegant mouldings as well as the large, old
north-wood interior doors and frames. The elegant hydraulic tiles, different in each room, were
also an important project element to be preserved from the beginning.

The initial distribution of interior partition walls was maintained, which generated pieces of
similar rectangular dimensions, providing a great degree of flexibility in the use of the different
spaces. This made it possible for a former living room to become the master bedroom, giving it
more privacy with regard to the children's bedrooms. The former kitchen, located in a rear
extension, was converted into a pleasant open but covered outdoor space adjoining the master
bedroom. On this terrace, a larger opening to the inner courtyard was created, bringing a lot of
light into the space.

The large space that was unfortunately totally wasted in the original layout was a very generous
hallway, located in the centre of the flat. The new kitchen, with a large island, was then placed
there and became a central and very functional space from which the different rooms are
accessed. An existing small toilet under a staircase was also used for a kitchen cabinet and the
fridge. Norwegian firm Studio Gran was so keen for the kitchen to stand out that Norwegian
carpenter Henriksen Snekkeri was hired to provide the kitchen furniture with all kinds of details
and perfect finishes.

The existing “marès” stone walls were renovated and then plastered with natural lime mortar and
lime stucco from Felanitx in the bathrooms which allowed the local stone to breathe.

If it was already a complicated reform in itself, the biggest challenge for OAM Office of
Architecture in Mallorca was to include all the facilities and comforts necessary nowadays without
losing height in the ceilings or eliminating interesting pre-existing elements such as the elaborate
plaster mouldings on the ceilings.

In terms of interior design and decoration, a combination of art déco and modern elements was
chosen. With great taste, the island was scoured in search of the most interesting furniture, lamps
and elements to combine in this elegant flat.