Emma Roig Askari has opened the doors to her Ibiza home, revealing a highly personal villa where traditional island architecture meets contemporary art, international design and references to some of Europe’s most distinctive historic buildings.

The journalist, art collector and Christie’s ambassador built the house from scratch on a west-facing plot in Ibiza, creating what she describes as a family home designed around light, nature and the island’s famous sunsets.

A House Designed Around the Sunset

The story of the villa began with a simple idea: finding a place where the family could experience Ibiza throughout the year rather than moving between rented homes each summer.

Roig Askari eventually found a mountainous 4,400-square-metre plot in the west of the island and decided to build rather than renovate an existing property.

The home was designed with Ibiza's landscape and changing light firmly in mind, particularly the western orientation and its views towards the sunset.

Rolf Blakstad Brings Ibiza's Architectural Heritage

The villa was created with Ibiza-born architect Rolf Blakstad, whose work is deeply connected to the study and reinterpretation of traditional Ibicencan architecture.

Roig Askari says his understanding of the island's landscape and traditional building methods was essential to the project.

Her sister Maida also played an important role, helping coordinate the construction and bringing Valencian artisans and materials into the project.

Ancient and Modern Influences

The interiors are not designed around a single decorative style.

Instead, the house combines contemporary pieces with antiques, textiles, ceramics and works of art collected from different periods and places.

Roig Askari began acquiring objects even before construction started, buying pieces whenever she found something she loved and allowing the collection to gradually determine how the interiors would come together.

The result includes modern art alongside vintage furniture, Mediterranean materials and historic objects.

The Staircase Becomes the Centrepiece

One of the most distinctive architectural elements is the home's white spiral staircase.

Roig Askari wanted it to pay tribute to a staircase designed in 1914 by Valencian architect Rafael Guastavino for Carnegie Mellon University's campus in Pennsylvania.

The Ibiza version was created using traditional vault-building techniques and the work of Valencian craftsmen, turning a functional part of the house into one of its most recognisable design features.

Light as an Architectural Element

Natural light is another major theme throughout the villa.

Roig Askari has spoken about her fascination with the overhead light found in historic Spanish Arab baths and with the Pantheon in Rome, one of her favourite buildings.

Those references appear throughout the design through vaulted spaces, openings and carefully considered sightlines that allow sunlight to become part of the architecture rather than simply illuminating it.

Art Throughout the Home

The villa functions almost like a private gallery.

The interiors feature works by recognised artists together with vintage and antique pieces collected by Roig Askari over many years.

Among the details highlighted in the home are a screenprint by Antoni Tàpies, a ceramic sculpture by María Oriza, vintage lighting and furniture from different periods.

The main dining room also contains historically significant objects, including an ancient alabaster head and a Cycladic figure.

A Mediterranean Home With International Influences

Although the villa is firmly rooted in Ibiza, its influences extend well beyond the island.

Moroccan design, Valencian craftsmanship, European antiques and contemporary art all appear throughout the property.

The pool house, for example, was inspired by a historic Moroccan building that Roig Askari encountered through a 19th-century painting, while other spaces draw directly from Spanish, Roman and Mediterranean architectural traditions.

The Garden Is Part of the Architecture

The relationship between the house and its surroundings was carefully considered from the beginning.

Landscape designer Tania Compton was involved in shaping the outdoor spaces, creating gardens intended to feel connected to the natural character of the island rather than separated from it.

Terraces, mature planting, stonework and shaded areas extend the living spaces outdoors, reinforcing the connection between the villa and the landscape.

From Family Home to Inside Ibiza

Roig Askari's own house also became the starting point for Inside Ibiza, the coffee-table book she created with Vendome Press.

The book features 22 Ibiza homes belonging to people with very different backgrounds, brought together by their connection with the island and their individual approaches to architecture and design.

Her own villa appears at the beginning of that visual journey, reflecting the importance of the house to the wider project.

A Different Side of Ibiza

The villa offers a perspective on Ibiza that goes far beyond the island's better-known image of beaches, nightlife and summer tourism.

Its architecture is rooted in local traditions, while its collection of art and objects reflects a much wider international cultural world.

For Roig Askari, the house ultimately became what she originally hoped to create: a permanent family home and a place where architecture, art, landscape and Ibiza's extraordinary light could exist together.

It is also a reminder of another side of the island, where contemporary creativity and centuries-old Mediterranean traditions continue to shape the way people live.