#formentera

Ses Clotades, Formentera, Spain,

Ses Clotades, Formentera, Spain,

Terrace Las Salinas, Formentera - Karine Bartoli , 2023.

French , b. 1971 -

In 1972 the French architect Henri Quillé (1928-2020) settled on the Balearic island of Formentera, then a rather unspoiled refuge for artists and hippies. A graduate of both École Boulle and École nationale supérieure des arts décoratifs in Paris, Quillé set out to study the local vernacular architecture as well as the artisanal know-how behind it. From his research the architect derived a photo-ecological architecture, deeply rooted in the local nature, building principles and aimed at a minimal interference with landscape and nature. In decades following his arrival on the island, Quillé then developed a highly coherent body of work, mainly consisting of houses for international clients, characterized by the extensive use of the Catalan vault and a reduced number of openings in order to keep out the heat. Energy is often generated from wind and later photovoltaic systems that are coupled with a sophisticated water recovery system.

To this day, Quillé’s pioneering work is largely unknown outside of expert circles and the present monograph for the first time offers a comprehensive account of his fascinating architecture: „Henri Quillé - Formentera“ by Guy Bloch-Champfort, Sophie Cambrillat and Tanit Quillé, published last year by Norma Éditions, collects 17 of his buildings on Formentera and features them in texts, drawings, plans and photographs, many of them from the original building periods. The result are stunningly detailed dossiers for each building that document the design process just as comprehensively as the final result.