Inside the Elegant Reinvention of Mallorca’s Legendary Club de Mar
Charged with reimagining the Balearic yachting institution’s new clubhouse, Marta de la Rica turned to its rich archives, maritime heritage, and the golden age of Mediterranean sailing
From helping establish Mallorca as an international sailing destination during the 1970s, when the French Riviera dominated Mediterranean yachting, to welcoming Queen Elizabeth II and Elizabeth Taylor in its storied berths, Club de Mar–Mallorca has occupied a singular place in the region’s maritime history. So when Marta de la Rica received the commission to reimagine the Balearic institution’s clubhouse, the Spanish designer quickly realized its greatest asset was the culture that flourished there for nearly five decades. “The more we learned about Club de Mar, the more we understood that its greatest value was its identity,” says de la Rica, who sought to reinterpret the club’s identity into a graceful contemporary backdrop. “Since 1972, it has been a place where sailing, culture, elegance, and Mediterranean life have naturally come together.”
That illustrious history became de la Rica’s starting point as she conceived interiors for the clubhouse, which now occupies one of four interconnected buildings orchestrated by Madrid and New York architecture firm Estudio Entresitio that also contain two restaurants, a lounge, and a spa. The commission especially suited a designer whose tight-knit Madrid practice has earned the trust of prominent collectors through interiors that deftly commingle rare antique finds, custom furnishings, and exceptional craftsmanship. At Club de Mar, she applied that distinctive approach with poise to a sought-after destination whose identity has evolved across generations of sailors and members, even if its original bones no longer remained intact.
“Because the architecture was entirely new, my challenge wasn’t to preserve the physical details of the 1970s, but to preserve the spirit of the original club,” de la Rica tells Galerie. “I wanted to reinterpret the values that made Club de Mar so distinctive: its understated elegance, its relationship with the sea, its optimism, and its particular understanding of Mediterranean life.”
To achieve that, de la Rica intentionally eschewed nautical clichés. Instead, she drew on the club’s 1970s heyday and the optimistic spirit that defined Mediterranean yachting during the era, scrupulously selecting references that longtime members would recognize and gravitate toward. Glossy varnished mahogany, which clads bespoke furnishings and almost completely envelops locker rooms, recalls the hulls of vintage Riva runabouts. Teak and sycamore accents paired with button-tufted leather banquettes evoke the warmth of a yacht cabin. Navy-and-cream striped upholstery abounds, its palette borrowing reds, blues, and yellows from the International Code of Signals, the maritime flag system ships use to communicate at sea.
But the most tangible connection to the club’s history came through the original nautical objects de la Rica recovered from its archives. The Presidence Office proudly displays a monumental wooden ship model. Historic sailing photographs appear in custom mahogany frames while traditional diving helmets and weathered barometers join carefully placed anchors throughout.
“All these elements speak the same language; materials, colors, and proportions constantly echo one another from one space to the next,” de la Rica says. “I’ve always believed that the strength of an interior lies not in one iconic piece, but in the conversation between all of them.” Those carefully considered details allow authentic fragments of Club de Mar’s past to inhabit an entirely new clubhouse, ushering its extraordinary legacy into breezy new waters while preserving the inimitable character that has long attracted the world’s starriest seafarers.