Outdoor Baths Redefine Mediterranean Courtyard Design
Recent renovations in Spain and Portugal are transforming Mediterranean courtyards into open-air bathing rooms, prioritizing water over gardens. Projects like Casa Puerto in El Puerto de Santa María by Lucas y Hernández-Gil feature a marble-lined pool that extends indoors into a Roman-style therme. In Madrid, gon architects' Ciel apartment includes a rooftop jacuzzi and outdoor shower, while Plutarco's PDLL70 House adds a green mosaic plunge pool. Atelier RUA's Casa Galamares in Sintra uses pink ceramic tile to evoke a bath atmosphere without water. These designs serve as passive cooling systems, with courtyards acting as climate cores that chill surrounding air through evaporation. The trend revives ancient bathhouse rituals, emphasizing sequence and ceremony over utility.
Key facts
- Courtyards are being lined in marble and glazed tile and organized around pools or soaks.
- Casa Puerto by Lucas y Hernández-Gil has a marble pool of pink Portuguese stone extending indoors.
- Ciel apartment in Madrid by gon architects features a rooftop jacuzzi and outdoor shower.
- PDLL70 House by Plutarco includes a green glass-mosaic plunge pool in a brick-paved courtyard.
- Casa Galamares by atelier RUA in Sintra has a rooftop terrace wrapped in pink glazed ceramic tile.
- Water in courtyards cools the air through evaporation and thermal mass.
- The designs are described as 'architectural acupuncture' and 'a shadow after all'.
- Courtyards are compact, roughly 40 m², making water and shade effective for cooling.
Entities
Artists
- Lucas y Hernández-Gil
- Gonzalo Pardo
- Plutarco
- atelier RUA
Institutions
- gon architects
- Lucas y Hernández-Gil
- Plutarco
- atelier RUA
Locations
- Spain
- Portugal
- El Puerto de Santa María
- Madrid
- Sintra
- Cádiz