La Muralla Roja, the Red Wall, is a postmodern apartment complex in Manzanera, Calpe, Spain. It is designed by Spanish architect Ricardo Bofill for the client Palomar S.A. in 1968 and fully constructed by 1973. In designing the building, Bofill referenced the architecture of North African casbahs and Arab Mediterranean architectural styles. It reinterprets the casbahs in an avant-garde fashion while incorporating traditional elements like plazas (courtyards), staircases, and bridges that connect all the apartments to one another.
Formed like a fortress, La Muralla Roja appears as if it is emerging from the rocky cliffs it sits on. Its organization challenges the increasing division between public and private space through its reinterpretation of the casbah. Various tones of red paint cover the exterior facade, accentuating the contrast with the landscape. Stairs and circulation surfaces, on the other hand, are treated with different tones of blue ranging from sky-blue to indigo and even violet, depending on weather the intention is to contrast with the sky or create visual continuity with it.
It is a common interpretation that the red and pink tones of La Muralla Roja are used to present a contrast against or an emphasis on the landscape with the earthy colors of red and pink. Similarly, the blue tones are used against the hues of the sky and/or water. This consideration of the environment is a common attribute of Ricardo Bofill’s work and is especially present in his other architectural designs such as the Social Club of Manzanera and the Xanadu building.
The red and pink tones of La Muralla Roja are used to present a contrast against or an emphasis on the landscape
The blue tones are used against the hues of the sky and water
