Courthouse of Mahón

Juan Navarro Baldeweg 


Its reduced scale does not prevent this piece from assuming a role as a referential element in the heterogeneous fabric of the Santa Eulalia quarter, in the capital of Menorca, one of Balearic Islands. The accentuated verticality of its principal entrance along with the doubled order of its upper floors denote a public function. Openly manifesting an intent to integrate into the vernacular setting, the aluminum slats of the western facade evoke the latticework of the characteristic structures of Mahón, and the traditional rough stonework of the plinth enveloping the ground floor poses a pleasant contrast to the smooth, white plaster of the remaining walls. A symmetrical scheme arranged along both sides of the axis of the entrance organizes the distribution of interiors where visual continuity and overhead lighting predominate.