Client: Cerberus
Location: Gran Canaria, Spain
Category: Retail
Visuals: Utopic
Furniture: Missana, Sancal & MIDJ
Service: Diseño de Centros Comerciales en Madrid

El Muelle resort:
Project report

Paradise also needs a little push every once in a while.

There are no worse waters than those that are docile. The sun and excellent year-round climate demand interventions that respond to local needs and enhance the habitat—such as managing sunlight exposure, ensuring controlled airflow, and creating new destinations. Our goal is to activate the right elements so that the place’s natural metabolism can flourish organically.

We found this humble approach to be just right for El Muelle Shopping Center on Gran Canaria Island: acupuncture in paradise.

Conquering the city

Design that mimics nature – the rentless waves conquering the shore

It would be unreasonable to think that architecture does not draw from its environment—whether directly, in the smallest details, or abstractly, through concept. The presence of the sea in this context is undeniable, and the Mall, in turn, draws from it. Just as the sea is perceived as limitless, defined by its lack of borders, the building reciprocally imitates this quality. The vast scale inherent to shopping centers creates an overwhelming experience, one that heavily depends on the effective spatial organization and distribution of its services.

It is a common challenge to find an efficient way for a space to present itself to users, often achieved by creating nodes and focal points that encourage smooth user flow—working from specific points toward the overall experience.

With El Muelle, an inverse strategy is proposed—starting from the entirety of the complex as a vast space full of possibilities that can adapt and take shape according to its audience. The concept goes even further, envisioning it not merely as a building but as an entity that extends beyond its physical limits, indirectly engaging and conquering the city.

Like the forward and retreating motion of waves at sea, this concept defines the dynamic relationship between the exterior and interior of El Muelle. The services offered inside the center are not confined to static placements but expand, grow, and extend beyond the building itself. Similarly, the interior spaces are designed to feel like open areas, allowing freedom of movement and permeability through their facades—that is, at their boundaries.

The adaptation that takes place is very natural and is reflected in the more vivid colors and textures. User activities are not confined by strict boundaries but are given flexible surfaces to work on and adapt as needed. It is this flexibility that gives appeal to the expansive space we mentioned earlier—transforming it from overwhelming to a vibrant melting pot of activities that vary not only in space but also in time, as multiple activities can take place within the environment at different moments.

A dynamic corridor where light and materiality interact, shaping an inviting path through the retail environment. The fluidity of form shares an organic exploration of space.
Bright and airy terrace, elements resembling the nautical 1920 ́s world in a modern way. Giving a sense of sea and sophistication.
The shading structurure is held from the solid columns of the building, letting light and ventilation through. Offering a terrace to enjoy the view of the beautiful Canary island seascape.
Every space has been thoughtfully considered—the delicate landscape design softens the expansive area, creating a pleasant walkway with serene views of the boats.
The terrace has an open space that makes the user feel as if they are on a spa retreat in the open. The layers of neutral colors and materials marry in a way that transmits tranquility.
The fluidity of organic forms, gentle curves, and soft lighting transforms this retail space into a welcoming environment, replacing the overwhelming vastness with a sense of ease and intuitive navigation.