Photograph and copyright Manfredi Bellati
Yannick
and Ben Jakober Foundation: Sa Bassa Blanca – Architecture. The Hassan Fathy
building which houses the Contemporary Art Collection can be glimpsed from the
wild, long and dusty track that leads to Sa Bassa Blanca and the Yannick and Ben Jakober Foundation a few kilometers south of Alcudia on the North Eastern
tip of Majorca.
The
dirt road. The dirt road leading up to the Museo Sa Bassa Blanca is flanked by
beautiful trees and the dry fields are scattered with Carob trees.
photograph and copyright manfredi bellati
The
entrance to Sa Bassa Blanca.
The outstanding feature of Sa Bassa Blanca, which houses the Comporary
Art Collection of the Yannick and Ben Jakober Foundation is undoubtedly the
building designed by the renowned Egyptian architect, Hassan Fathy (1900-1989). He was already 78 years old and had never built
anything in Western Europe when he drew up the plans of this Hispano Moresque
building, which he called a “ribat”, retaining only the outside walls of an
existing farmhouse of the property. White crenellated walls, traditional vaults
and domes punctuate the otherwise flat terraces of the edifice surrounding a
central courtyard with gardens and fountains. “At Sa Bassa Blanca, what once
was a rather ugly farmhouse has given way to a unique landmark. It is a place where the visitor can
appreciate not only the work of a great architect but also the melding of
different cultures, not as mere decoration, but as an integrated whole. It is a vision that reflects the rich
history of this Mediterranean area.” A Pigeon sculpture by Ben Jakober and Yannick
Vu is the focal point for photographs with visiting VIPs.
The
Pots. A collection of gigantic old terracotta pots are placed at the main
entrance to the Museum.
Photograph and copyright by Manfredi Bellati
The
Roof. A view from the roof of the surrounding landscape from the flat roof
surface.
Photograph and copyright by Manfredi Bellati
The
interior courtyard. “The interior garden courtyard, designed by Hassan Fathy,
has a number of levels. Its
features include a fishpond, and also a sunken pit (in the foreground) where
people sit and watch performances in the small open-air theatre… The garden
boasts fully grown trees, as well as jasmine and a Lady of the Night (Cestum
Nocturnum). The overall design of
Sa Bassa Blanca, with its internal courtyard, is well suited to the Majorcan
summers. It serves not only as a garden but also as the focus of the
building. It opens onto two
reception areas: one traditionally called the iwan, with a number of stark
chairs and low tables; the other a summer dinning area with a long refectory table.”
The
tiles of the ground floor in Sa Bassa Blanca. “ The floors, too, deserve
special attention. The tiles were custom made in a local kiln… The makers were
two brothers, now dead, who lived and worked in adjoining houses but had not
spoken to each other for thirty years.
One made only glazed tiles, the other only unglazed ones. As both were needed for the Sa Bassa
Blanca project their work came together and was interlaced in the final
building.”
The
windows # 1. Most windows, designed by Hassan Fathy himself, are covered by
wooden lattices called “mushrabeyehs”.
The
windows # 2. The iron latticework
on the arches in the patio.
The
roof terrace. On the wall a
sculpture by Ben Jakober and Yannick Vu entitled Mazzocchio, 1994 it is
situated on the roof terrace, which goes around the interior courtyard.
Note:
one of the two domes, which form an integral part of the design of the
building, the other being in the tower on the left.
Photograph and copyright by Manfredi Bellati
The
View. A close up of the sculpture
Tres Columnas on the hillside overlooking the property.
The
vaulted ceiling # 1 - detail. “Among the other highlights of Sa Bassa Blanca
are the “artesonados” or paneled ceilings, especially the polychrome
Hispano-Moresque example from Tarazona, which dates to 1498.”
The
two fountains. “The two fountains
in the courtyard, both of which appeared in Hassan Fathy’s plans, come from
Granada. One is a rare
sixteenth-century fountain in white marble, while the other is probably a
former baptismal font. On Fathy’s
plans the fountains were not aligned with the centre of the courtyard. When questioned on this point the
architect replied that, “only Allah is perfect”, and so the fountains were
positioned just as he had envisaged.”
The
Doors. “Also notable are the old paneled doors (cuarterones).”
Barbie
and Ken. Gigantic silver Barbie
and Ken sculptures called Apollo and Aphrodite made by Ben Jakober and Yannick
Vu grace one of the arches looking out onto the interior courtyard. They have
the exact same proportions as classic Greek sculpture.
Photograph and copyright by Manfredi Bellati
The
vaulted ceiling # 2. The terracotta brick vaulted ceiling in Yannick Vu’s
studio.
Note:
all quotes are taken from Ben Jakober’s text, Hassan Fathy and Sa Bassa Blanca
in the Foundation's catalogue.
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