Tenerife has always been known for its tremendous biodiversity and temperate climate. Today, many are aware that it’s also becoming a favourite among lovers of mid-century modern architecture.
Development of luxury properties on Tenerife has gone hand in hand with the development of Abama. In the past few years, our resort has helped change the expectations for real estate on the island, marking a fundamental shift towards architectural innovation through signature projects like the Las Terrazas apartments and our personalised villas. The clean lines, natural materials, and walls of glass that characterise our Bellevue homes are today some of the features most in vogue: it’s a combination that seduces owners and visitors alike, with a nod to the golden age of Le Corbusier and the California homes of the middle of the XX century.
After the quick and complete sale of Phase I of Bellevue, last December we inaugurated the second phase of development: six new luxury homes elegantly decorated and offering impressive views of the Atlantic Ocean. Like their counterparts in Phase I, these were also quickly snapped up by admirers of their incredible design, inspired by the mid-century modern style.
A reflection of the era in which they were conceived, mid-century modern architecture is a North American design style founded upon the so-called architecture of ideas. The premise was that design could be a vehicle for social change, as in the Bauhaus School in Europe. Characterized by simple, linear, clean shapes and the use of natural materials, large windows and open spaces, these “modern” homes were constructed in the middle of the XX century in the residential neighbourhoods surrounding San Francisco Bay in California, where they aspired to employ the highest heights of design in single-family homes destined for the incipient professional middle class.
Virgilio Gutiérrez Herreros and Eustaquio Martínez, two of the most revered architects in the Canary Islands, designed Bellevue to the highest standards of quality, inspired by those mid-century homes that took a page from the work of Walter Gropius and Mies van der Rohe. The industrial materials on display in their pure state are just a few of the characteristics of this distinctive style that these architects have loyally reproduced in Tenerife: cast concrete blocks on the façade, natural rock flagstone tiles cut in irregular shapes, outdoor terraces and wooden slats that offer privacy and a natural, rustic touch in this series of homes that are sure to inspire and delight design fans.
The interiors, with large windows and few interior walls, give rein to fluid motion and horizontal planes, drawing from a functional design characterized by clean, straight lines, filled with light, and connecting interior and exterior spaces. In line with the mythic homes of the 1950s, simple decoration, again combining natural materials in basic geometries with little ornamentation, completes the look of these turn-key single-family luxury homes. It’s a measure of the confidence that our owners have in the Abama project that almost all the homes were bought off-plan and their decoration entrusted to our professional teams.
The Bellevue package is topped off with private garden and pool areas as well as impressive panoramic views of the golf course, the Atlantic Ocean and the island of La Gomera that penetrate the interior of the homes from every vantage point, completely integrating the home with nature.
With all but three of the units now sold, the Bellevue homes stand as a testament to the idyllic nature of Tenerife and its willingness to embrace international ideas including mid-century modern architecture. It’s a romance that, as we know, has only just begun. If you thought our little paradise was all out of surprises, we can assure you that Abama still has plenty left to share, especially in the field of modern house design.
