Can Lis
Encyclopedia
Can Lis is a house the Danish
architect Jørn Utzon
built for his wife Lis and himself near Portopetro
on the Spanish island of Majorca. Completed in 1971, it consists of four separate blocks linked together by walls and courtyards.
after disagreements with the authorities about how to complete his iconic Sydney Opera House
. He was enchanted by the island and decided to build a summer residence there. The basic concept of the villa is similar to the design for the house Utzon had intended to build in Sydney: a number of pavilions arranged to serve the different functions of the building.
. The four separate blocks are linked together with walls and courtyards. From west to east, the first block houses the kitchen, dining room and study, the second the living room, the third the bedrooms and the fourth contains a guest suite. All face the sea with slightly different orientations following the line of the cliffs. Utzon prepared preliminary sketches and drawings but these were underwent changes as the building grew. The result is a house that makes optimum use of light and views. Utzon's approach is reminiscent of the experience he had gained in Finland where he saw how Alvar Aalto
had built the Villa Mairea
, altering the design along the way. The light in Majorca is sharp and bright. Can Lis has a number of areas where loggias and projecting roofs provide the necessary shade. The window frames, mounted on the exterior surface of the walls, stimulate the effect of light inside the house. Most of the furniture is also made of stone, sculpted into shelving, tables, chairs and benches.
In his extensive monograph on Utzon, Richard Weston
considers Can Lis to be "one of the finest houses built in the twentieth century." He further comments: "Uniting mental and physical order, geometry and building, Utzon has made a house unmistakenly modern in technique and sensibility yet seemingly as natural and ordinary as the sun, stone and sea whose intercourse it celebrates."
, at a more remote location, as they were increasingly bothered by the continual pounding of the waves, the glare of the sun, and intrusions by tourists and architecture enthusiasts who wandered through the site. Can Lis was used for many years by their children. Recently, in collaboration with the Utzon Foundation, the Danish Architectural Foundation has now made the house available to architects wishing to stay there for periods of at least one month.
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
architect Jørn Utzon
Jørn Utzon
Jørn Oberg Utzon, , AC was a Danish architect, most notable for designing the Sydney Opera House in Australia. When it was declared a World Heritage Site on 28 June 2007, Utzon became only the second person to have received such recognition for one of his works during his lifetime...
built for his wife Lis and himself near Portopetro
Portopetro
Portopetro is a district of Santanyí on the island of Majorca, in the Balearic Islands of Spain, around 62km from Palma.Portopetro is a small fishing village with a population of approximately 500 and consist of a harbour, small marina and a secluded beach which is adjacent to the harbour...
on the Spanish island of Majorca. Completed in 1971, it consists of four separate blocks linked together by walls and courtyards.
History
Utzon visited Majorca in 1966 when returning from AustraliaAustralia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
after disagreements with the authorities about how to complete his iconic Sydney Opera House
Sydney Opera House
The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in the Australian city of Sydney. It was conceived and largely built by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, finally opening in 1973 after a long gestation starting with his competition-winning design in 1957...
. He was enchanted by the island and decided to build a summer residence there. The basic concept of the villa is similar to the design for the house Utzon had intended to build in Sydney: a number of pavilions arranged to serve the different functions of the building.
Architecture
Located on the top of a cliff on the island's south coast, the house is built in the area's yellowish-pink sandstone, known locally as marés stone, making it blend into the landscape. The concrete roof is capped with of yellow tiles while the gables are crafted in the Chinese style, like those of the Fredensborg HousesFredensborg Houses
The Fredensborg Houses form a housing complex in natural surroundings on the outskirts of the small town of Fredensborg in the north of Zealand, Denmark. The houses were designed by Jørn Utzon for Danes who have worked for long periods abroad....
. The four separate blocks are linked together with walls and courtyards. From west to east, the first block houses the kitchen, dining room and study, the second the living room, the third the bedrooms and the fourth contains a guest suite. All face the sea with slightly different orientations following the line of the cliffs. Utzon prepared preliminary sketches and drawings but these were underwent changes as the building grew. The result is a house that makes optimum use of light and views. Utzon's approach is reminiscent of the experience he had gained in Finland where he saw how Alvar Aalto
Alvar Aalto
Hugo Alvar Henrik Aalto was a Finnish architect and designer. His work includes architecture, furniture, textiles and glassware...
had built the Villa Mairea
Villa Mairea
Villa Mairea is a villa, guest-house, and rural retreat designed and built by the Finnish modernist architect Alvar Aalto for Harry and Maire Gullichsen in Noormarkku, Finland....
, altering the design along the way. The light in Majorca is sharp and bright. Can Lis has a number of areas where loggias and projecting roofs provide the necessary shade. The window frames, mounted on the exterior surface of the walls, stimulate the effect of light inside the house. Most of the furniture is also made of stone, sculpted into shelving, tables, chairs and benches.
In his extensive monograph on Utzon, Richard Weston
Richard Weston (architect)
Professor Richard Weston is an award-winning architect, landscape architect and author. He is also the Chair of Architecture at Cardiff University and the Director of Richard Weston Studio Ltd and Earth Images Ltd.-Professional background:...
considers Can Lis to be "one of the finest houses built in the twentieth century." He further comments: "Uniting mental and physical order, geometry and building, Utzon has made a house unmistakenly modern in technique and sensibility yet seemingly as natural and ordinary as the sun, stone and sea whose intercourse it celebrates."
Later developments
The Utzons kept Can Lis as their Majorca residence for almost 20 years, living there for extensive periods as they grew older. They finally decided to build a second house on the island, Can FelizCan Feliz
Can Feliz is a summer residence the Danish architect Jørn Utzon built for himself near Portopetro on the Spanish island of Mallorca. Completed in 1994 and located a few kilometres inland on a mountain side near S'Horta, it is the second house Utzon built on the island...
, at a more remote location, as they were increasingly bothered by the continual pounding of the waves, the glare of the sun, and intrusions by tourists and architecture enthusiasts who wandered through the site. Can Lis was used for many years by their children. Recently, in collaboration with the Utzon Foundation, the Danish Architectural Foundation has now made the house available to architects wishing to stay there for periods of at least one month.
Literature
- Martin Keiding and Kim Dirckinck-Holmfeld (ed.), Utzon's own houses, Utzon Library, Copenhagen, Danish Architectural Press, 2004, 106 pages. ISBN 8774073168