Neuendorf House

As soon as the gate opens and we enter the Neuendorf property, we are enveloped in a heavenly herbal aroma mingled with the humid air. We are in the Santanyí area, located in the southeast of Majorca. The charming, slow-living central town of the same name is only 10 minutes away by car, yet we are surrounded by the tranquillity of the island’s countryside and can breathe in the fresh coastal air off the nearby Cala S’Amarador. Inside the property perimeter, the pine trees, carobs, olive trees and agave plants escort us up the long, gradually steeped grassy pathway that leads to Neuendorf House. Pausing here momentarily, we take in the coral walls rising mightily between the bright green grass and the blue Majorcan sky. It is a spectacle of colour. At the end of this runway, a distinctive slit slices through the façade, allowing a glimpse into the interior life of the house. High above, to our right, a square, minimal window discretely interrupts the voluminous picture. From a distance, it appears almost like an eye – as if the house is observing us as we enter.

We arrive at the end of a tremendously busy day. The house is pulsing with activity as a major fashion shoot wraps up. It’s not the first time that a designer brand has set its campaign against the powerful geometry and striking surfaces of this location. By contrast, the next morning starts slowly and quietly in one of the bright, sparsely furnished guest rooms. The light leans in ever so slightly through the small, square windows that pierce the solid volume of the chamber. As the gentle beams enter, our body gradually awakens, followed by our eyes and mind, as in a diurnal enlightenment rite. The bedrooms are on the first floor of the two-storey house: from up here, we can see the cactus garden springing up below, then a bit beyond into the calming Santanyí scenery. The windows appear like live postcards that foresee the landscape on the other side of the wall. Over the bed, the one square opening invites us to approach; when up close, the magical peak moment of the sunrise is revealed.

Caroline Neuendorf has risen at 7am, as she usually does, and greets us with a warm, friendly smile as we come downstairs. She’s the owner of Neuendorf House, this contemporary architectural icon masterminded in the 1980s by architects John Pawson and Claudio Silvestrin, where fortunate guests, looking for a rare combination of outstanding design and pristine nature, can book a stay. She’s also a self-described “huge fan of rituals”, and she installs them everywhere she goes. Here, in Majorca, her days commonly begin with a swim in the long pool. This morning, dressed in a simple black swimsuit, she skips out of her striped towel, carefully placing it on one of the stone benches, and nimbly dives in. The winter temperatures in Majorca are so mild, she tells us, that her body rapidly acclimatises in the embrace of the 11°C salt water. Caroline does 10 laps – the splash of her strokes resounding softly as she comes and goes, chiming with the delicate sounds of the morning. After her swim, she drinks her coffee on the terrace. “I love just soaking up the energy,” she declares, looking out at the lush vegetative surrounds. “Feeling the lightness, the sun on me, the shadows; and enjoying the view and the birdsong amid the quietness. This is a beautiful start to the day for me.”

Caroline gently ushers us inside to the breakfast table, upon which we discover a lavish spread. There are eggs, salmon, jam, home-made granola, a variety of fruit, cheese and bread, as well as spinach and pineapple smoothies – all prepared by Christina, Caroline’s assistant at Neuendorf House. From the dining room, we see the other side of the walls for the first time: the same slit that surreptitiously invited us to guess at the heart of the house the evening before now lets the outside landscape in, in a contained, even artistic, manner. We feel protected but not enclosed by the architecture. From inside Neuendorf House, the essential connection to the surroundings becomes swiftly apparent.

After breakfast, we embark on a tour – following Caroline as she confidently strides across the courtyard. It’s impossible not to pause in the middle of the stone floor, between the concrete walls that seemingly rise to the sky – as if aiming to frame a very personal portion of the blue, just for contemplation. The apparent emptiness of the courtyard is, on the contrary, filled with palpable energy. “I remember coming here for the first time,” Caroline recalls. “There was just a little hut for the sheep and the cactus garden, where the Majorcan farmers keep their pigs. But I can tell you that it was magical.” That was 40 years ago, and there’s no one better to tell the story of this residence than her – and she does so happily. More than just the host, Caroline is also the house’s protector. In this building that is praised, studied and visited as a monument to poetic and minimalist design, it’s Caroline’s vision that has understood the creative potential, the richness and the nuances of its way of life.

The story of the house is, in good part, her own story, too. In 1985, after recently marrying Hans Neuendorf – the German art dealer renowned for founding Artnet and revolutionising the art market – English painter Peter Phillips and his wife, Claude-Marion Xylander, invited the couple to their freshly bought finca (a traditional Spanish rural estate) in Majorca. “Peter said that they had travelled the world and found this totally unspoiled island in the Mediterranean,” says Caroline. “And it was true.” Back then, the airport in Palma, the island’s capital, already existed, making it easy to move in and out. Caroline vividly remembers the city as being beautiful and full of history, without any claim to its current sophistication. There was no highway, so the Neuendorfs would drive all over the island on endless little dirt roads lined by trees. “We arrived shortly before the island was developed. Most of the houses, villas and infrastructure didn’t exist. It was like an uncut diamond – something of a paradise.” And there was that special smell in the air, that herbal scent that she links unequivocally to Majorca.

The couple initially bought an old finca in the countryside, with the idea of reforming it in a classical fashion. But then they found a plot of land in Santanyí, adjacent to the Mondragó Natural Park, and were immediately touched by its energy. “There’s something very specific to this area that creates a lightness of being,” Caroline says reflectively. “We found something amazing here.” Motivated by the energy of the land, the Neuendorfs took on 13 hectares in this location, sold the previously bought finca, and decided to build a new house.

Soon after, on a beach holiday in Porto Ercole, Italy, Caroline met a young English architect, John Pawson, who was also there with his family. The group quickly became friends and enjoyed some convivial Italian evenings together. John had just come from a stay in Japan, and was greatly impressed and influenced by Japanese notions of space. He invited Caroline and Hans to see his flat in London, which they happily accepted. “I instantly fell in love with the apartment, because it was something I’d never seen before,” she recalls enthusiastically, reliving the delight of that first animated response. “It had a black wooden floor, white walls, almost no furniture – and after using the tables, they could be put away into a slit in the wall. I said to my husband: ‘This is exactly what I want!’ There was no clutter around, so you felt free, you could breathe. The spirit could wonder through the space and that is something I need. I can’t stand it for too long if there are a thousand things around.”

At the time, John was working with Italian architect Claudio Silvestrin, mainly refurbishing flats. The Neuendorfs commissioned them, only stipulating that they wanted a family holiday house and otherwise giving them carte blanche. Creating an architectural masterpiece was not Caroline’s intention, nor could she have guessed the outcome. Today, 36 years after finalising the project, John speaks to us from his acclaimed London-based studio. Long recognised internationally for his minimalist aesthetic and projects that range from high-end private homes to hotels, restaurants, galleries, monasteries and The Design Museum in London, he also has a clear memory of his first encounter with this “young and fit German couple on the beach in Porto Ercole.” To John’s recollection, it was Caroline Neuendorf who really pushed for letting go of the traditional hacienda style and, instead, building something modern. The English architect calls to mind his early site visits in Santanyí, “with Hans swimming off the rocks and all of us driving miles to try out local restaurants, as it was out of season. Caroline and Hans,” he continues, “were brave and generous for entrusting their sizeable new property to a couple of young architects who had not done a house before.”

Upstairs, the private area of the house is distributed along two stark white passageways: one is a covered balcony overlooking the courtyard, the other is inside the building and connects two bedrooms. The light is dim and relaxing here and is accentuated by precise fixtures, like the desk-light under which Caroline now sits momentarily and reflects on the creation of the building: “I think that both John and Claudio came to Majorca and were instantly captivated by its beauty, like us. They really referenced Majorcan buildings, in a way. The colour of the house was a connection to the earth; the materials, like the Santanyí stone, express where it was built; then comes the courtyard, which you have in all hot, southern countries. There’s a lot of respect for the country. When I came here and saw the finished structure, this sense of being in a magical place instantly manifested itself.”

“John and Claudio worked very well together,” Caroline continues, “and, at the same time, they captured their different personalities in the design.” She shares her own interpretation, noting that the small windows seem reminiscent of John’s time in Japan, while the heights and colours have a very Italian influence, introduced by Claudio. While it may have been the first house that the two architects had ever built, it was also the only one that they built together.

Minimalism, as a philosophy or a decision, can be explained in different ways. It’s certainly expressed in various depths. For some, it could translate to simplicity, but there’s nothing that can be simply put while describing the atmosphere at Neuendorf House. It serves as a testament to the profundity of a minimalist yet grand design, and Caroline’s initial amazement at the finished project is nothing compared with her onward encounter with the fibre of the residence. It has taken her decades to really discover the complex layers and secrets of the space, in much the same way as she has lived her own process of self-knowledge and maturity. “After all this time, it still has a warmth to it, even a sweetness,” she says of her house. “It embraces you, but you’re not distracted here: you’re centred, it makes you look into yourself.”

Caroline speaks with a combination of worldly elegance and youthful enthusiasm. She has a way of gracefully settling her short blonde hair as she talks; she phrases her words carefully, but an occasional fit of laughter gives away a spontaneous and playful spirit. She also likes to ask questions, and she does so with a curious – and astoundingly blue – gaze that shows a genuine interest in her conversation partner. She speaks as passionately as she intently observes.

Born in Stuttgart, in the south of Germany, Caroline is the daughter of painter and sculptor Georg Karl Pfahler: prominent abstract artist, representative of the Hard-Edge movement, and a life-long researcher of the relationship between colour, shape and space. She grew up in a house full of his art and the artists that he exchanged work with to build his personal collection. The family travelled a lot, often visiting collectors’ houses, galleries and museums. “He loved to go to museums wherever we went, and stay there from morning to evening,” Caroline explains tenderly. With a roguish smile, she reveals: “Sometimes, I found it a real drag. My father went from room to room and asked me which was the best painting there; I had to point at one, and then he’d ask me to explain why.” She counts him as one of the most influential people in her life. Today, The Pfahler Archive is managed by Caroline and her brother Florian Pfahler. “I owe him my eyes,” she says of her father. “I have a way of understanding things through my eyes, processing them visually, and I think this was a huge gift from him. I certainly attribute my way of perceiving things to him.”

When Caroline finished school her biggest wish was to go to Paris. She’d been there with her parents once and she remembered feeling like she already knew the city. “Maybe in another life,” she quickly points out. She enrolled at the Sorbonne to study French civilisation, before moving on to the École du Louvre for art history. During her second year, she attended FIAC, the International Contemporary Art Fair, in Paris. That’s where she met her future husband, Hans, 25 years her senior and already an established name in the art world. She moved to Hamburg with him and became embedded in the international art scene. Today, Caroline is convinced that her professional career only really began when she understood that Neuendorf House was a living project she could carry into the future.

The building began to gain broader recognition about 10 years ago, when the first editorial fashion shoot was staged there. Until then, the architectural oeuvre had been enthusiastically received by critics, such as the art collector Doris Saatchi, who wrote about it in ‘The Times’ of London; or the British architecture critic Simon Unwin, who ranked it among the 25 houses that every architect should understand. “Then, suddenly, the fashion world also began paying attention, and we got more and more recognition. Maybe it was zeitgeist,” Caroline says with a shrug. “Although, as I see it, the house is not part of a zeitgeist, but rather ‘fuera de competición’,” she swiftly concludes in Spanish. “It will soon be 36 years old, but it hasn’t lost any of its impact, so it’s outside of any category. And it’s only coming into its full potential now. It’s a slow process, and we are not there yet. There’s still so much to do.”

Transformed into a guest house of curated experiences about a decade ago, Neuendorf House offers five bedrooms, four bathrooms and an additional powder room, and can accommodate up to 11 guests. The indoor communal area consists of a generous room that looks onto the courtyard and the iconic coral walls. On one side is the state-of-the-art kitchen, as it’s described on the house’s website, recently updated with V-Zug appliances after the Swiss brand approached Caroline about a collaboration. On the other side stands the elongated fireplace that Caroline likes to start herself. And in the middle of the space, the thick and porous marble table, a sculptural presence that invites touch. The outdoor spaces are magnetic, providing views of both the greenery and the architecture. The long salt-water pool that seems to disappear into the landscape is another of the house’s emblems. Down a stone staircase, there’s a much smaller pool with a heated jacuzzi. Gazing at the garden through the lingering vapour is a tremendously satisfying sensation. The courtyard, pool deck and gardens offer idyllic settings for a yoga session. And right next to the entry path, the sunken clay tennis court is one of the most remarkable features, as proven by Benjamin Neuendorf, the youngest of Caroline’s children, who is out hitting some balls today. One of the forthcoming projects is the construction of a gym designed by Claudio Silvestrin.

“For me, it’s very important that my guests have a Majorcan experience,” explains Caroline, who, when on the island, is generally called ‘Carolina’ by her local friends and acquaintances, which are many. Neuendorf House welcomes its visitors with an abundant basket of products that our host has lovingly sourced from some of the most creative and resourceful makers from across the island – olive oil from Aubocassa, various home-grown delicacies from the 500-year-old estate Son Moragues, also known as SONMO, and local honey and wine. On the bathroom’s shelves and in baskets, we find her selection of creams from Flor d’Ametler, a small Majorcan perfume company that uses almond blossom as its main ingredient.

Gastronomy is another important aspect at Neuendorf House. Caroline promptly recommends that guests book the private chefs she usually works with, especially for catering events and parties (for which the house can also be reserved).

On this occasion, she has already arranged for Daniela Urgoiti and Scott Serres, the charismatic couple behind Organichefs, to come and prepare lunch for us. They are house favourites because, as Caroline puts it, they truly understand the building and complement its aesthetics through their table and dish designs. As their name implies, Organichefs use produce that mainly comes from small farmers with additive-free fruits and vegetables, as well as free-grazing cows, happy chickens and wild fish. Daniela and Scott’s philosophy has to do with cooking simply and using the best raw produce. For our lunch, they create dishes from their own recipes: kale salad with freshly picked leaves, asparagus with Parmesan, almonds and a dry tomato sauce, carrots with tahini, feta and onion cream, a beautiful dorada, a local fish, with mashed sweet potatoes, and a beet risotto with cashew pesto. We take our seats at the outdoor dining table, overlooking the pool, which has been generously laid out with ramekins of roasted almonds and olives, and glasses of white wine. Daniela and Scott have crafted a setting for sharing “the food, the moment and the space,” as they purposefully say. The result is a feast of colours and flavours that feel fresh and spirited, and brighten the noon.

“I’m proud, happy and grateful that we have the chance to work with such fantastic people,” says Caroline, as plates are passed across the table. “It’s wonderful to realise that when you set your mind to something, you meet the right person. And I’m out there looking all the time.”

The small, square windows and the slit that cuts through the house’s façade serve as a metaphor for the elusive power of focus. These austere openings may not let us view the scenery as a whole, but instead frame particular details and reveal the importance of the pieces that make a moment. “I love to work from the marble table in the dining room with the view of the courtyard,” shares Caroline. “Sometimes, I see the clouds forming animal shapes that creep through the slit: first their heads, then their bodies. It’s a cut-out of nature; you probably wouldn’t pay so much attention if the whole sky was in front of you.” For her, exercising focus has brought about accuracy and thoughtfulness. And it has everything to do with the meditative predisposition of the house. When she climbs up to the rooftop terrace, like she does today, she still marvels with genuine emotion at the view of the sun on the horizon and of her own home from high up. It may seem hard to believe, but she insists that every time she comes to Neuendorf House, she discovers something new.

Complexity is at the core of human inclination and desire. Caroline relishes having only essential decorative objects in the house: beautiful earthen pottery, carefully chosen books, chairs and benches in woven natural fibres, and statuesque lighting. She doesn’t have art pieces here and doesn’t miss them, because the variations of natural light and moving shadows are already a captivating visual spectacle. However, she does admit that she’s not an absolute minimalist; she also has a baroque side. Her apartment in Berlin, where she spends most of her time, is the opposite of her Balearic life. Within a classic ‘Altbau’ (old building), the flat is brimming with art, cherished objects, including a Murano collection started by her father, and things that she enjoys, like modern and contemporary furniture – and colour, so much colour. “I have both sides, and I love them both,” she declares, laughing. It’s said that our surroundings define us; therefore, Caroline is a different person in Berlin than she is in Majorca. “I’m extremely orderly here, because anything ugly or untidy would stand out more against the minimalistic beauty. This clean space forces you to act in a structured way. At the same time, it frees you. You’d think structure and freedom are a contradiction, but I find that they make total sense in this house. In fact, I would say that I’m much freer in Majorca than in Berlin.”

For many years, the Neuendorf family was constantly relocating. But their Santanyí house remained their base. “My four children grew up here,” Caroline explains. “No matter where we lived, this was always the family home.” The coral walls have seen endless summers of play, lunches with extended family and friends, seasons of birthdays, celebrations and, with time, intimate weddings. “My children, Henri, Sophie, Albert and Benjamin, are a huge inspiration and help to me, as they are just as much in love with this place as I am.”

Henri, Sophie and Albert conceived of the annual artist residency, which held its inaugural programme in 2021. The visual artists selected spend four weeks at the villa, and the programme provides travel, accommodation, studio space, materials and transport to explore the island. Most importantly, it offers seclusion and serenity, without distraction. So far, artists including Nathanaëlle Herbelin, Christine Safa, Louise Giovanelli and William Monk have taken part in the residency.

Last November, Neuendorf House hosted its first Architectural Association Visiting School, a programme based in London. A total of 15 students, from about 12 different countries, spent 10 days doing “an in-depth survey of the house and its surroundings.” The grand jurors and speakers were John Pawson, Claudio Silvestrin and landscape architect Luciano Giubbilei. The experience left Caroline feeling immensely excited: “There was an academy spirit, like in ancient Greek times – the students were working passionately, diligently and seriously; they were able to extensively speak to architects whose work they admire.” She is now determined to repeat the event every November and perhaps have even more students come to stay.

As the day goes on, the late sun creates a backlit setting against the pine trees. Leading the way into the gardens, Caroline points out that those specific trees were planted by Hans in the pattern of constellations, so that earth and sky would be secretly connected, and so it would appear organic, as if the trees had always been there. “I think it’s a very sweet story,” Caroline turns around to say. They also have olive trees: some centenary, which they took into careful consideration when designing the project, and some more recently added, which are just starting to produce olive oil. “Benjamin and Albert will be doing further designs to the garden,” she continues, weaving around several sculptural cacti. “We want to keep it as natural as possible, especially considering that there isn’t much water. I would like to have chickens and bees here, and more birds, so that we become a bit of a natural paradise. That’s really what I envision.”

As part of the experience, guests are presented with all manner of activities and places to visit round the island. But the best advice that Caroline gives is to do nothing, to just ‘be’. That proves to be enough of a task. “In the times we are living in, to be able to be surrounded by nature without distraction is one of the most valuable qualities a place can offer,” asserts our host. You may find yourself contemplating the full moon in July, for example, suspended like a huge ball over the pool – or the half-moon, perfectly placed within the courtyard slit. “I asked John and Claudio if they did this knowingly. They both answered, ‘No!’ I couldn’t believe it,” she says with one of her explosive laughs. “So, for me, how they created this house is something of a miracle. It seems to touch something in a lot of people. I think it has a spiritual side to it that is coming out more and more.”

Poems don’t need many words to be expressive and poignant: just a few verses can be as intriguing as a small opening in a wall. Evocation just needs a smell, a taste, a memory. Caroline opens a bottle of red wine for the evening, insisting on preparing our dinner herself. She loves cooking, she tells us, especially here in Majorca, with its inspiring markets and produce. Together, we delight in some simple fish and vegetables, and a plate of cheese, while feeling sheltered by the fire. Caroline, it could be said, has grown with her house. And in understanding and nurturing it, and filling it with life, the two have merged identities, in a sense. They belong together. “You have the luxury of finding yourself here,” she says with conviction. “I owe it to the house to let it evolve into something that really does it justice.”