16 DIGS.NET | 9.23.2022
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P R O F I L E | H A U S E R & W I R T H
"The spaciousness of the galleries,
the restored arches and the skylights and windows
pay an homage to that origin," he says.
scaping. The gallery knew what it had in
Laplace, having previously teamed with
the Paris-based, Argentinean architect on
its outposts in Switzerland, the UK, and the
U.S. Well situated to the monumental task
at hand, Laplace worked closely and in
sympathy with the Fundació Hospital de
l'Illa del Rei and approached the project by
emphasizing the island's local traditions
and heritage, as well as collaborating with
area architects. To understand the origins
of the building Laplace also visited several
naval buildings around Menorca. "The
spaciousness of the galleries, the restored
arches and the skylights and windows pay
an homage to that origin," he says.
With both the island and Menorca
protected UNESCO Biosphere sites,
conservation and sustainability are core to
the project. Tiled roof and terrazzo flooring,
made on site with Menorcan stone, are
among the local architectural elements
that Laplace employed. What's more, "The
project incorporates two small annexes,
restored using the local sandstone," notes
superlative art center, and for revitalizing
a 100,000-square-foot former flour mill
in downtown Los Angeles into one of
the city's essential art scenes. But even
for this gallery, Hauser & Wirth Menorca
stands as a transformational tour de force.
Forming a U-shape and surrounding a
square and a chapel, the award-winning
conservation project includes a series of
outlying buildings that were once tasked
with managing support functions of the
main hospital, which is now a museum
celebrating its history, established by
the Fundació Hospital de l'Illa del Rei (a
non-profit formed to protect and promote
the island). There are ruins of a 6th-cen-
tury basilica (discovered in 1888) on the
site, contextually true plantings and a
spattering of outdoor sculptures. Inside is
a clean modern contrast to ancient stone.
This fusion of art and history enriches the
experience of both.
Much of this is a credit to Luis Laplace,
who Hauser & Wirth tapped to helm the
project's design, renovation and land-
