Alhambra Townhouse

An Unparalleled Riad Renovation in Granada by Architect Yann Le Coadic

The second Spanish renovation project for Yann Le Coadic of French firm Lecoadic Scotto, this stunning property dates from the 16th century and faces the Alhambra. The designer’s personal home, it propels guests back to the Renaissance, revealing a dazzling variety of influences from the region’s Moorish, Roman, Renaissance Catholic and even Franco Modernist past.

Built riad-style across two stories, all rooms open to a central courtyard, and there’s a roof-level terrace. Three bedrooms, each with an ensuite bath, make the home ideal for six guests, though a convertible sofa bed in the moody smoking room allows for a seventh. Le Coadic has added his own respectful creations of course, though his approach was one of restoration and minimal fixes for modern life versus a deep renovation. He created a generous dining table inspired by monasteries that is the home’s heart space, a low-slung sofa based on Middle Eastern built-in couches, and an innovative aluminum headboard in the primary bedroom that draw in natural light. Furnishings are a relatively spare curation of antique finds.

Additional features

Butler service, in-home chef and meal preparation and/or daily breakfasts can be made available upon request. All toiletries are locally sourced at the perfumer Patio de Los Perfumes.

Around

Granada is synonymous with its UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Alhambra, a vast palace, fortress, grounds and gardens that was once the largest political and aristocratic center of Muslim culture in the West. The stunning hilltop site rises above the Darro River and was first designed as a fortress before becoming the royal residence and court of Granada in the mid-13th century with the establishment of the Nasrid Kingdom. Throughout the 13th, 14th, and 15th centuries, the fortress was transformed into a citadel defined by its soaring walls and defensive towers that housed the military, the royal guard and the medina. Seized in 1492 by the Catholic Monarchs, the Alhambra later became a Christian court, military zone, church and Franciscan monastery.

A mountain town in the Sierra Nevadas of Spain’s Andalusia region, Granada features a wealth of Moorish architecture in its steeply sloped, winding streets. Gardens are abundant (Granada means pomegranate), and no visit is complete without a tour of the city’s Miradors or viewpoints, ideal at sunset hour. The town’s Jewish quarter is called the Albacín, and it's lined with whitewashed buildings dripping with flowers. The quarter of Sacramonte, up high in the hills, is home to the region’s famed Gypsies who traditionally lived in cave homes, many still inhabited today. This is the traditional land of flamenco music and dancing, and there are numerous locations within Sacramonte and elsewhere in the city for catching a passionate show. Tradition has it that tapas come free in Grenada with the purchase of a drink, and Anthony Bourdain famously dubbed the Spanish city among his favorites for a bar and café crawl. Day trips into the Sierra Nevada mountains promise hiking, mountain biking, fishing, and even skiing and snowboarding in season.

Location

Nearest airports: Granada (15km), Malaga (100km)

Best time to visit

Year-round

Photography: @matthieusalvaing