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Berkeley’s reputation as a hotbed of technological innovation is also mirrored by its architectural legacy. This house by Donald Olsen at 775 San Diego Road is looking for only its third custodian since it was completed in 1954, built for pioneering Silicon Valley engineer and physicist Arthur Frederic Kip.

The Kip House was commissioned in 1952. Kip (1910 – 1995) spent a quarter of a century at the UC Berkeley physics department working in experimental physics, helping lay the foundations for the semiconductor industry that would eventually transform the fortune, demographic and global importance of this part of Northern California.

Kip was also an admirer of European modernism and the ethos and approach of the Bauhaus. Following World War II (in which he served in Anti-Submarine Warfare Research), he was in a position to commission a bright young local architect, Donald Olsen, to design a house that reflected his aesthetic preferences and professional ethos. The house was to exemplify ‘precision, clarity, logic, and innovation.’

Olsen (1919-2015) was a disciple of Walter Gropius, one of many pioneering German architects and designers who had arrived in America via the UK following their escape from pre-war Germany. Olsen studied under Gropius at the Harvard Graduate School of Design, eventually going on to work for Eliel and Eero Saarinen, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill and Californian firm Wurster, Bernardi & Emmons, responsible for Case Study House #3.

On his own, Donald Olsen never lost sight of European Modernism, even as many of his contemporaries went on to evolve the style to create the timeless form of Mid-Century Modernism that has become so closely associated with the West Coast. The Kip House serves as a transitionary work. The rigour and simplicity of the front façade is clearly Bauhaus-inspired, but as the house steps up the hillside it opens up into the wooded landscape, becoming more intimate and low-key.

Kip’s house sits alongside Olsen’s own house, now listed on the National Register of Historic Places and a City of Berkeley Landmark, and was published in the influential Arts & Architecture magazine in 1954. The house’s position on the slope is fully exploited by Olsen’s split-level plan, which incorporates a living space across the upper floor, set beneath the shallow pitched roof.

The main living space at the front of the house has a proto-high tech balcony cantilevered out from the façade, alongside a living area and study. Steps in the centre of the plan lead down to a kitchen and dining room with direct access on to the deck and rear yard. In total, there’s 5,706 SF of outdoor space, and 1,904 SF of indoor space, as well as a car port.

The architectural arrangement allows the occupants to live in the treetops, along with the primary bedroom suite at the rear of the property. Two additional bedrooms are located on the lower level.

Following the death of Kip’s wife Joan, the house went on to be owned by a prominent local lawyer who proved to be a sympathetic custodian of this unique house. She engaged architectural historian Pierluigi Serraino to document the house’s history and consult on subtle but necessary updates to preserve its unique qualities. Now a new owner is required to continue the legacy.

Kip House, Berkeley, is for sale at $1,425,000 through Anna Bellemo of District Homes, 775SanDiego.com, Anna.District-Homes.com

Each year, Monterey Car Week culminates in the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance event, held on the Pacific-side greens of this ultra-exclusive northern Californian golf club. Alongside multiple new reveals and iconic classics, the event’s 75th edition saw the hammer fall on three-quarters of a billion dollars’ worth of historic metal, a new record.

The 2026 edition of Monterey Car Week wrapped up on August 16th after ten days of reveal events peppered across the picturesque Californian peninsula against a backdrop of the lavish and loving display of hundreds of classic cars. The week centres around the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, the world’s largest automotive affair also turned heads with its record-breaking auction sales, courtesy of sales by RM Sotheby’s, Gooding Christie’s, Bonhams and Broad Arrow.

In all, sales totalled $755.6 million (£558.7 million), with modern cars occupying over half of the handshakes. Eleven cars saw buyers for $10 million (£7.4 million) or more while the highest price tag was a 1964 Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe which sold for $42.905 million (£31.758 million). Designed by Pete Brock, the vehicle was produced only in six editions, including this auctioned chassis CSX2300 which was once owned by Carroll Shelby himself.

There was also the remarkable sight of the first-ever Ferrari Luce selling for no less than $40m through RM Sotheby’s, a result notable for many reasons, not least for being the highest ever price realised for a brand-new car (let alone becoming the most expensive EV ever sold). The buyer is reputedly a serial offender at the art of transforming cars into big-ticket auction records; the Luce lucre was effectively handed, less commission, straight into the coffers of Ferrari’s charitable arm.

The concentration of the world’s top car designers, brands, collectors, and aficionados on this breezy, historic West Coast grounds lent itself – unsurprisingly - to a social affair centred around buzzing displays, test rides, and after-hours gatherings. Just like other niche industries such as art, watch, and furniture, luxury automotive sector also thrives on desire, innovation, and the oomph effect.

One of the premium events of the week is The Quail, a high-end car show with a big sticker ticket price and a host of niche and premium brands jostling to show their wares to their target demographic. Across the packed itinerary, standouts included Cadillac’s main event, Curated by Cadillac ESCALADE IQ, which celebrated the all-electric flagship SUV for a customised experience. The concierge-led program allows customers to craft their very own vehicles through a generous option palette which reaches up to a million permutations, including 106 colours.

According to the brand’s executive design director Dominic Najafi, ‘the real twist’ in their broad offering is the addition of a new Santorini Blue pipping. ‘You normally wouldn’t see such colouring in piping in combination with tan and grey interiors,’ he told Wallpaper*. Najafi sees this accent as part of their emphasis on ‘expressing American luxury,’ and added: ‘We are not just copying rituals from Europe – we are creating a distinctive American experience.’

The Detroit-born 124-year-old manufacturer’s other offering was V-One, a new medley concept of their signature V-series with a single-seat competitive spirit innate to race cars. The hardware specific to racing is alchemised with a human touch that focuses on driver comfort and confidence. ‘If it doesn’t make the car go faster, we don’t put it in,’ said Sean O’Shea, Propulsion Manager of Cadillac’s LMDh series, about the concentrated tight design vision.

O'Shea added that the interior team uses similar materials in such a specific vehicle but translates their understanding of ‘luxury into a pure performance environment.’ Najafi also noted that the main design challenge was to represent the impression of the night in the car’s outfit. Rather than simply choosing a black finish, the team created a nocturnal effect with paintwork which yields flakes of blue when the sun hits the grey surface.

Lamborghini, on the other hand, joined the spectacle with Revuelto SV, a lineage that the Bolognese luxury car maker started 55 years ago. In this upgrade, a lightweight body and optimised aerodynamics result in a vehicle that can speed up to 345 kilometres per hour, which makes this version of Super Veloce the fastest Lamborghini car produced in Sant’Agata Bolognese. Black accents and a redesigned fierce SV logo on both sides convey a sharp statement of luxury.

Among the world debuts was RUF’s new performance car, Ehra, named as a nod to Phil Hill’s victory at the Ehra-Lessien proving ground in 1987. Given the vehicle’s historic homage, a nostalgic form outfits a 650-horsepower engineering in a bold hue of grey; inside, titanium pedals and hand-stitched light brown flag pattern and matte carbon trim accompany lollipop seats in a light brown hue which provides a dramatic but comforting completeness.

The Audi Nuvolari made its US debut at The Quail after first appearing at Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc during the Monaco Grand Prix in June. The first modern supercar to come out under the vision of the German car manufacturer’s chief creative officer Massimo Frascella, the hyper halo car will be produced in an edition of 499.

The hybrid vehicle speaks with its futuristic, almost mysterious, body dressed in a moody titanium skin. The ability to reach 349 kilometres per hour is matched with a design and experience-forward philosophy which is evident in a low mid-engine body and a seamless appearance. The car later went on to the prestigious Concept Lawn at Pebble Beach, where it was seen alongside other recent design studies like the Vision BMW Alpina, the Bugatti Destrier and the Aston Martin Valen.

The main event was soundtracked by growling engines and echoing conversations and perfumed by the unmistakable tang of oil, petrol and faded leather. The Concours d’Elegance competition is scattered across the ocean-side golf course, with 218 cars representing an impressive slice of automotive history.

This year, Best in Show went to a 1935 Duesenberg SSJ Special Speedster originally owned by Clark Gable and presented by one Harry Yeaggy of Cincinnati, Ohio. A classic piece of inter-war design, it brought the event’s timeless sense of American luxury into sharp focus.

WhatsUpMonterey.com, Cadillac.com, @Cadillac / RUF-Automobile.de, @RUFsince1939 / Audi.com, @AudiUSA

The Balearic island of Mallorca has long been a refuge for artists and writers. The island – with its rugged mountains, white sand beaches and hidden rocky coves – is said to possess a mystical kind of energy that emanates from its dramatic landscape, which has long attracted artistic outsiders and bohemian types. No part of the island has become more of a creative meeting place than Deià, a hilltop village on the island’s mountainous west coast. And now, to honour that history, the legendary La Residencia, A Belmond Hotel, is drawing on the island’s creative legacy with its new collaboration with the Spanish fashion house Loewe and its annual Loewe Foundation Craft Prize, a rotating artist residency that sees former finalists installed in the storied hotel for two-month-long residencies, starting with the Japanese artist Kaori Juzu.

The drive to Deià from the bustling city of Palma de Mallorca is a striking one. The terrain starts out flat and slightly sunburnt, with almond farms and cyclists zipping past you on either side. But as you approach the Serra de Tramuntana mountains, the road becomes circuitous, winding up the steep hills as the landscape becomes rocky and intensely green. Eventually, after twisting upwards for about half an hour, the sea materialises at the bottom of a steep cliff, stretching out before you like a painted backdrop. The town of Deià itself is a cascade of sand-toned stone houses that lead to a centuries-old church at the crest of the hill. In the evening, a warm light paints the rugged mountains that cradle the sleepy town like a catcher’s mitt, fading into shades of pink and orange as the sun moves through the sky.

When it was founded in the medieval period by the Moors, Deià was a strategic settlement. Its elevated hilltop position allowed for visibility across the coastline, meaning it was relatively cut off from invaders and safe from roving Mediterranean pirates. In the 19th century, European noble families would come here to convalesce thanks to its mild weather and clean mountain air. The Polish pianist Frédéric Chopin, for instance, famously spent several months in the nearby town of Valldemossa, recovering from tuberculosis. In the 1930s, international artists discovered Deià’s peculiar magic when the British writer Robert Graves made this place his home. Others followed, including Anaïs Nin and Pablo Picasso.

That tradition is being continued by the artist and jewellery designer Kaori Juzu, who lived and worked in La Residencia this summer. The Fukuoka-born Juzu was nominated for the Loewe Foundation Craft Prize in 2023 for her intricate creations made out of bent copper and powdered enamel. ‘I start by fusing the metal to create these shapes,’ explains Juzu of her process. ‘And then I colour them with the enamel, which is actually powdered glass. I sift it over the surface and fire it several times to create a unique surface depth and colour.’

The piece that caught the attention of the Loewe Craft Prize jury was a series of 108 tiny compositions arranged in a grid on a white canvas, each of them a unique abstraction. ‘The number 108 is very significant for Japanese Buddhism,’ she says, noting that on New Year's Eve it is customary to ring temple bells 108 times. The coin-sized forms that make up the composition call to mind the colourful abstractions of Memphis Group prints, rendered minuscule in colour-drenched metal planes. Her more recent work, meanwhile, embraces more earthy, natural hues: tones that recall the greens of olive leaves or the mother-of-pearl sheen of oyster shells.

During her stint in Mallorca, Juzu has experimented with new shades and forms. Every morning before the gardeners arrive on the property – which sprawls over a series of olive-tree-studded stepped terraces in the centre of town – to clean up fallen leaves and wilted blooms, she slips out and gathers them herself to bring back to her studio. She then creates two-dimensional arrangements laid out on a canvas on the studio’s flagstone floor to inspire new colour combinations for her work.

‘Artists in Residencia’ is just the latest creative initiative for La Residencia, A Belmond Hotel, which, from 2023 to 2024, collaborated with Galleria Continua. That partnership saw the hotel host a series of artists, including Daniel Buren and Arcangelo Sassolino as part of the gallery’s ‘MITICO’ series, alongside emerging talents such as Liang Fu and Berta De La Rosa. The hotel also boasts an extensive permanent collection, including a vast array of works by Joan Miró in its Miró restaurant, named in honour of the Spanish painter and sculptor. Following Juzu’s stay at La Residencia, the hotel will host ceramic artist Deirdre McLoughlin and textile artist Dahye Jeong – both part of previous editions of the Loewe Foundation Craft Prize – continuing to nurture a new generation of artists in this storied Mallorcan town.

belmond.com

Will the Swiss watchmaking industry remain dominant, as it has, arguably, for the last 40 or so years? Jean-Christophe Babin, appointed last year as the CEO of LVMH Watches - after stints as CEO of Tag Heuer and then Bulgari, both brands in the LVMH stable - suggests that it should not assume as much.

For one, he says, there is the rise of Chinese watchmaking, once focused around cheap knock-offs, now increasingly developing its own watch brands with distinctive designs and imported Japanese movements. And then there is the constant need to offer something more than function, which perhaps giant Japanese makers the likes of Casio and Seiko are, he suggests, too focused on.

So what will keep Swiss watches ahead? Story-telling, he suggests. 'Yes, a luxury watch today needs to be founded on a strong brand reputation, or have iconic models - Rolex and Cartier are, for example, the only brands that have the Ballon Bleu or the Daytona,' says Babin. 'Yet even icons have to evolve. The latest Finisssmo from Bulgari, for instance, is a more balanced watch, a different kind of Finissimo, with proportioning that means it can be worn every day, which it wasn’t perhaps before.

'But the Swiss watch ideally tells a story too - and not one necessarily that comes as a result of just being on the market a long time,' stresses Babin, who is also president of Geneva Watch Days, the event he co-founded during Covid, when watch fairs looked to be all but dead. It brings dozens of brands together across Geneva to show their wares and, critically, do so to the public, for free. 'Bulgari’s Serpenti watch, for example, has only been on the market since 2010 but looks to the kind of bracelets worn in Rome 2000 years ago. Creating that kind of narrative that puts a watch company in a much stronger position than a one that’s just been launched, without yet either resources or history.'

Nor is finding such an arresting story the only challenge. Babin concedes that for the big brands the volume market - which he suggests is for watches priced around €2000 to €8000 - is going to get increasingly tough, both because it’s only economical if it sells a lot of watches, and because new start-up brands are now offering consumers more affordable rival options often made with the same components. 'Keep in mind too that even big brands have small market shares,' he warns.

He would also like to see these brands take a bolder, more radical stance when it comes to design, both because that’s way to carve out a strong market position - it was Babin who drove Tag Heuer’s move towards developing luxury connected watches, a segment it now commands - but also because the industry tends to underplay the notion that most watch customers fall in love with a look, not a movement.

'The engine,' he says, 'has to be mobilised for the design. The aesthetic comes first. We have to invest more in desirability so purchasing a watch in that price bracket isn’t a once in the lifetime event but perhaps one that happens every few years, so those people who didn’t plan to buy a watch at all will do so. If that sector wants to survive long term there are few other options. For me the job is about encouraging brands to be more ambitious.'

Not that Babin thinks that the Swiss watch industry is on some kind of precipice. He has, after all, been here before: 'My career has gone through five or six financial crises, the pandemic, wars, and I think as an industry will see more and more of those kinds of challenges,' he says. 'But if I was reasonably successful it was because I never accepted that events meant the brands I managed wouldn’t remain strong and profitable, even if they didn’t [always] grow.'

The seventh edition of Geneva Watch Days will be September 2nd to 6th. See gva-watch-days.com

How ultra-processed is the built world around us? The answer, for now at least, is very.

Highly manufactured building materials, many of them chemically engineered, reign supreme in modern construction. From our homes and offices to schools and hospitals, we are surrounded by polymers, sealants, adhesives and synthetic composites.

What is ultra-processed architecture?

The result? Often, a homogeneous, mass-produced design with an unhealthy side of toxicity. 'We are, quite literally, living in a plastic world,' says Gina Ciganik, chief executive of Habitable, an organisation focused on reducing the use of hazardous chemicals in building products. 'We need to start thinking a lot more about what we are surrounding ourselves with and breathing in. With 2.5 trillion sq ft of real estate projected to be built by 2060, the materials we choose going forward really matter.'

Thankfully, a shift is underway. Just as we are becoming more aware of the detrimental effects of ultra-processed food on our bodies and minds, so are we beginning to question our exposure to highly processed – and potentially toxic - materials in our buildings. 'We are starting to understand that making our buildings, spaces and places healthier is the most important thing we can do for our health and the health of our families and children,' says Carrie Denning Jackson, head of innovation and technology at US developer Jamestown and founder of Places as Medicine, an organisation dedicated to creating healthier places and spaces.

Buildings represent 'one of the greatest public health opportunities of this century,' says Harvard University’s Healthy Buildings Program director Joseph Allen. And that opportunity stretches beyond improving our physical health. Many architects believe that a shift towards using more natural, and often less uniform, materials will also lead to longer-lasting, more sustainable spaces where people feel more emotionally connected to the world around them.

For Robert Douge, co-founder of architectural practice Arya Douge, creating low-tox homes and buildings is about more than just reducing exposure to VOCs, the volatile organic compounds found in highly processed building materials. It’s about originality. 'At a time of digital saturation and AI-generated perfection, people want real, natural materials,' he says. 'The market has become saturated with cheap, accessible, ultra-processed fakes. A porcelain tile that has been mass-produced in a factory might look flawless, but it’s not real. A piece of marble straight out of the quarry with a unique imperfection is yours, and yours alone.'

'One of the best tapware suppliers we work with, Studio Ore, specialises in unpatinated finishes. The taps are left to age and patina, so everyone gets a very high-quality tap but, by virtue of how you use it and where it is, six months into owning that tap, it will be different to any other in the world.'

It was this pursuit of the unique that saw homeowners Emma Trachtenberg and Edward Pearse Wheatley turn to reclaimed materials and one-off finishes during the redevelopment of their Victorian terraced house in north-west London. Among their finds were an original butcher’s block, repurposed as a kitchen island, and hand-poured bathroom tiles.

Such a vehement quest for individuality is what Sam Pye, creative director of architectural studio Echlin London, tries to instil in his clients. 'Take kitchen surfaces,' he says. 'People are often warned against marble because it stains. But think of it like a leather wallet. The first mark will bother you the most, but then the stains become part of your story. Do you want your island unit to look box-fresh in ten years? Or do you want those red wine and lemon juice stains to remind you of the life you have lived?'

Not that marble is the only option. At The Dairy, a residential scheme in Notting Hill that has seen the redevelopment of a 19th-century working dairy into eight homes, Echlin used leathered rather than polished Taj Mahal quartzite - a more practical, but still 100% natural, choice of stone.

It’s the replicas, says McNally, the heavy lacquers and high-gloss finishes, that bring chemicals and toxins into a building. That and mass-produced joinery, adds Olga Turner-Baker, managing director and co-founder of Ekkist, a design consultancy specialising in health and well-being in buildings. 'Composite joinery is wood pulp mixed with glue and sealants,' she says. 'Chewed up, wrapped wood products full of chemicals.'

At Pensaer, an architectural practice focused on the process of making, natural materials are used not only for their health benefits but because they age well. 'Rather than introducing unnecessary synthetic layers, we allow materials to weather and develop character over time,' says head of studio Paula Morgan. Internal clay render was used alongside the existing brickwork at Ashbourne Grove, a home in London’s East Dulwich, to naturally regulate humidity and at Casino Avenue in Southwark, the practice used raw materials at touch points, including a salvaged stone countertop.

None of this is easy, of course. 'Natural materials are regularly value engineered out of projects due to higher costs,' says Jamestown’s Denning Jackson. 'And we still don’t know the durability of some of these materials. We used cork in one project that started bubbling, so we had to fix that and then educate the installers on how best to work with the material to avoid it happening again. This is all challenging stuff, but experimentation is at the heart of change and innovation.'

And the use of natural materials is successfully shifting perceptions around what constitutes a healthy building, even in highly regulated spaces. At the New Velindre Cancer Centre in Wales, natural, anti-fungal materials help to improve the health of the building’s end-users. 'The heart of the building is mass timber, and in the patient areas we have made the walls out of hemp and lime render, which are all naturally anti-bacterial,' says Christian Dimbleby, head of sustainability at White Arkitekter. 'They are also breathable, so toxins naturally escape. We came up against standards written for modern materials and had to prove that traditional, natural materials are suitable in healthcare settings. We are pushing boundaries to show that if you use unprocessed materials, you are reducing the risk of unknown chemicals and toxins. We want the general public to know that.'

We have the technology, the machinery and the processes to create flawless replicas at pace. But the tide looks set to finally be turning.

Ibiza’s original spirit has become one of hospitality’s most elastic ideas. At Nômade Temple Ibiza, it stretches across 182 rooms, multiple dining venues, an 810 sq m spa, a recording studio, a bazaar and an M.C. Escher-inspired performance space. This is a hotel with the confidence to call itself a temple – and the programme to fill one. The hotel occupies the former BG Portinatx Beach Club Hotel, a four-star all-inclusive built in the 1970s. Owned by ARD Investment and designed and operated by Mexican-born hospitality company Nômade People, it joins the group’s properties in Tulum, Holbox and Madrid.

Wallpaper* checks in at Nômade Temple Ibiza

What’s on your doorstep?

Portinatx sits at Ibiza’s northern end, in the municipality of Sant Joan de Labritja. The coastal settlement gathers around three beaches – S’Arenal Gros, S’Arenal Petit and Es Port – with pine-covered hills and rocky headlands. The striped Moscarter lighthouse, the tallest in the Balearic Islands, can be reached by following the coast from Es Portixol. Nômade descends towards the water through terraces, paths and native planting, with the pool, beach restaurant and accommodation blocks arranged around the same blue focal point. Guests can head out for coastal hikes, kayaking and snorkelling, although the extensive programme within the hotel – which includes everything from recode breathwork and telescope stargazing to beeswax jewellery workshops – makes leaving a chore.

Who is behind the design?

The architecture and interiors were led by Oneness, Nômade People’s in-house studio, founded by architects Sebastián Sas and Bjarke Ingels. Spanish project-management company Betlinski coordinated the construction, while the wider team included landscape consultant Fernando Martos, lighting specialists Anoche and Alve, furniture manufacturer Cidon and carpenters Stevani & Silva. Guests first enter the property through an enclosed space of intimate proportions, where a reflecting pool introduces the sound of water. The reception then expands beneath a large skylight before the route changes direction and opens suddenly towards the horizon.

‘The main challenge was to transform a building that originally imposed itself on the landscape into an architecture that dialogues with it,’ the architects explain. Most of the guestroom structures were retained, with larger openings, upgraded environmental systems and a closer relationship between interior and exterior. New volumes step down the terrain, allowing one block to overlook another without placing terraces directly in view. Arches and rounded corners reinterpret traditional Ibizan payesa architecture, while deep walls, shaded balconies and semi-covered spaces temper the summer heat and encourage natural ventilation.

The greatest intervention centres on the main building, whose position across the site initially interrupted the relationship with the cove. Oneness turned it into the hotel’s architectural and social nucleus, concentrating the Portinatx Villa, lofts, restaurant and El Templo within and around its retained structure. Repeated arches soften its scale and frame glimpses of planting, sky and water as guests circulate. Throughout, piedra blanca, sabina wood, terracotta, zellige and rustic stone establish the material vocabulary. Furniture was designed for individual spaces, then mixed with vintage pieces collected internationally.

‘Despite its scale, Nômade Temple Ibiza was crafted with the attention and care of a boutique hotel, designing and curating each space individually,’ the architects say. ‘The choice of natural and honest materials, rustic textures, artisanal techniques and local materials seeks to build an identity deeply linked to Ibiza and the spirit of Nômade.’

The room to book

The Portinatx Villa perfectly embodies what the hotel is all about. Set within the main building at the centre of the hotel, it contains three bedrooms, one with a private indoor sauna, alongside an expansive living space, fully equipped kitchen and private pool. It can be taken as an entire villa or divided into individual rooms. The central position provides a broad view across the different levels of the resort and towards the cove. Simple stone surfaces, strong colour, tactile fabrics and individually selected furniture bring together the recurring elements found throughout the accommodation.

Across the remaining categories, rooms range from compact individual spaces to oceanfront suites, double-height DJ Lofts and cliffside villas arranged for groups. Some prioritise seclusion, with private pools, terraces and outdoor bathing; others introduce shared kitchens and living rooms intended for friends, families or creative residencies. Locally sourced materials, artisanal ceramics and handcrafted furniture recur, but their combinations change between rooms, avoiding the uniformity expected of a resort with this many keys.

‘Some rooms are designed for introspection and a deeper connection with the natural environment, while others, such as the DJ Lofts, promote companionship and creativity,’ says Oneness.

Staying for drinks and dinner?

Tavla is the central all-day restaurant, built around seasonal Mediterranean produce, fire cooking and long communal tables. Its restored wooden windows provide the room’s architectural anchor, joined by stone floors laid piece by piece and handcrafted ceramics across the tables. Café Libre handles mornings and the hours between meals, serving speciality coffee from local roastery Meke alongside baked goods and lighter dishes. At the water’s edge, 4fu3gos concentrates on local seafood and open-fire cooking, with clay tiles wrapping the kitchen and traditional Mexican equipal chairs connecting Ibiza to Nômade’s roots in Tulum and Holbox.

Kuu Jū brings Japanese omakase technique into contact with Mediterranean fish and produce. ‘The coloured glass evokes the spirit of the 1970s,’ the architects explain, pointing also to the textured marble counter and oversized straw light suspended above it. Guests can choose between a 13-course journey and a bites menu; the latter includes a soy-fuelled twist on the traditional Spanish gilda and a must-try tuna-belly katsu sando. After dinner, Miami-born Dante’s HiFi draws on Japanese audiophile bars, pairing vinyl with cocktails.

Where to switch off

The Gön House of Healing is Oneness’s most substantial architectural move. Faced with an 810 sq m spa and a coastline already occupied by the inherited hotel, the studio buried the wellness complex within the topography. ‘Due to its large scale and spacious areas, it was decided to bury it and integrate it into the topography, making it practically disappear from the landscape and allowing the cove to remain the true protagonist,’ the architects explain.

The subterranean interiors take their cues from Ibiza’s caves. Travertine floors, textured walls and sharp contrasts between light and shadow lead through hammams, saunas, cold plunges, flotation spaces and the Wataflow Sanctuary. Treatments range from Augustinus Bader facials to the Waterness Journey, in which a practitioner guides the body through fluid movements in warm water. The Emotional Alchemy Ritual combines meditation with bodywork, while the wider programme stretches into Pilates, astrology, hypnotherapy and emotional freedom techniques. A Journey Designer consultation at the beginning of a stay is intended to help guests navigate the options.

The forthcoming El Templo expands the programme beyond traditional wellness. Inspired by M.C. Escher’s shifting geometry, its stairways, changing perspectives and use of light create a flexible setting for yoga, meditation, performances and celebrations.

The verdict

Whether Ibiza’s ‘original essence’ can be recovered is beside the point. Nômade has created a version of the island with its own spatial logic, soundtrack and daily rituals. Staying here means entering the hotel’s spiritual worldview. Its stated aim is reconnection – with oneself, the landscape, the island and other people. A shaman-in-residence is available to perform energy cleansings, while Journey Designers help guests assemble a personal route through the rituals, treatments and cultural events. With 182 rooms and an extensive programme, there is enough variety for each day to take a different shape; whether that means wellness in the morning, dancing after dark or both is entirely up to the guest.

Nômade Temple Ibiza is located at Carrer Camí de sa Torre, 07810 Sant Joan de Labritja, Illes Balears, Spain.