Design Icon: 8 Avant-Garde Buildings by Ricardo Bofill

Near the port city of Alicante in Spain's Costa Blanca, Bofill designed a pink apartment block in the small town of Calp. Known for its beautiful beaches, the area became a popular tourist destination starting in the 1950s and ’60s, and La Muralla Roja was built to house 50 apartments on a cliff just five kilometers from the beach. With deep-set, narrow windows, strong geometric forms, and Mediterranean colors, the building is undeniably inspired by history but strictly modern in its minimalist ornamentation. The thick walls keep inner courtyards cool, and selectively placed windows keep out the strong Spanish sun.