LA Almazara

The cube — or bull, as Stark calls it — has a giant smoking eye pressed into one of its concrete facades, a reference to the works of Pablo Picasso and a tribute to the artistic tradition of Malaga. Reaching above the structure is a Corten-steel bull horn, more than three stories high, that stands as a symbol of Andalusian bullfighting strength and culture and reflects the intensity and deep-rootedness of this local tradition. The bullfighting symbolism is completed on the outside by the cantilevered viewing terrace that serves as the animal's mouth. A huge olive, in the same material as the horn, pays homage to the fruit of the olive tree that allows the production of extra virgin olive oil (AOVE), a product Starck considers “sacred.”

The collaboration between Starck and the company LA Almazara – LA Organic began more than ten years ago, thanks to Pedro Gómez de Baeza, a Spanish financier who was president of the company until his death last summer, and the businessman Santiago Muguiro, who, after a visit to the Marqués de Riscal City of Wine designed by Frank Gehry, thought that the same model could also be applied to oil. To carry out this operation they chose Starck, the French designer who was in charge of the design of the oil containers. He accepted the challenge with great enthusiasm, since, as he himself says, “There is water, there is salt, there is oil. These elements are sacred. They have always been respected and probably always will be.”

The result is a livable work of art, where every detail has been thought out to be functional and visually striking. Starck describes the building as “both a tool, a mill, and a monumental symbol, a museum,” and adds, “It's more art, more sculpture than architecture. Something from another world.”

The interior offers a multisensory tour that immerses visitors in the culture of olive oil and art. On the second floor, a museum dedicated to AOVE, curated by architect Juan Pablo Rodríguez Frade, explores the history and cultural value of oil. The exhibition rooms house pieces inspired by historical and cultural figures from Andalusia, highlighting elements that reflect Spain's past. Among the most notable pieces are a large bullfighter's sword and portraits of local figures such as Abbas Ibn Firnas, inventor of flying machines, and Don Pedro de Barberana, as immortalized by Velázquez. Another point of interest is the recreation of Ibn Firnas's flying machine, one of the first of its kind, accompanied by a monumental painting by Francisco de Goya, which brings intensity and visual depth to the space.

The contribution of Ara Starck, daughter of the architect, adds a poetic touch to the project. Her artistic intervention on the ceiling of LA Almazara evokes a “funny look” and “a gentle smile,” floating on the “liquid gold” of olive oil, giving life to an enigmatic space full of symbolism.