In Conversation with Anna Tarragona & Lars Höhne

Edith Minkner talks to architects Anna Tarragona and Lars Höhne

Over the years we have discussed many aspects of architecture with Anna Tarragona and Lars Höhne – from art and light to building technology and landscaping. Today we meet them in Calvià, where the couple runs one of Mallorca’s leading practices for contemporary single-family homes and luxury villas.

EM: Your projects always radiate a clear passion for good architecture. Where did this desire to design and build come from?

AT: I grew up in Barcelona, surrounded by outstanding architecture. One of my earliest inspirations was the Fundació Joan Miró by Josep Lluís Sert. I remember thinking: such beautiful spaces should not only display art – people should be able to live in them. That impression has never left me, and to this day we try to capture that same sense of light, art and atmosphere in our designs.

LH: For me, the urge to create was always there. I grew up in a classic modernist home, with open-plan spaces and large areas of glass. Both my parents were architects, so design, concepts and feasibility were constant topics of conversation. Anna and I come from different backgrounds, but we both had this inner drive from the start – and today it flows naturally into our work together.

EM: You live and work together. What makes this special for you as an architectural partnership?

AT: From an early age we saw how valuable it can be when both partners share their professional lives. Our parents also worked side by side in their own fields, and that sense of trust and complementarity influenced us deeply.

LH: Later, when we studied and worked between Barcelona and Frankfurt, we learned to navigate different cultural expectations of planning and building. That gave us a sensitivity to look at projects from multiple angles.

AT: And it is exactly this openness that helps us understand our clients so well. Many of them are international, with very high expectations, and the fact that we can approach a project from different perspectives allows us to create truly bespoke architecture.

EM: You already had a successful office in Frankfurt. Why did you decide to open your practice on Mallorca?

LH: Looking back, it felt almost inevitable. In 2002 we founded our office on Mallorca because nowhere else combines so many ingredients for high-quality architecture: nature, culture and a very demanding clientele.

AT: Mallorca is the perfect meeting point between Northern Europe and Mediterranean lifestyle – and for us, Calvià is the ideal base. It offers peace, nature and inspiration, while still being close to most of our projects.

EM: Where do you find inspiration for your designs?

LH: Inspiration comes from many places, but the site itself is always the most important. Every plot has its own character – its topography, its light, its atmosphere. Good architecture should capture that spirit and amplify it. That is what we always try to achieve.

AT: At the same time, the dialogue with our clients is a constant source of ideas. Each project begins with a fundamental mood or spirit that we anchor firmly in the concept. Once this foundation is right, everything else can follow – from the spatial sequences to the smallest interior details. That’s how a house becomes both part of the landscape and a reflection of the people who live in it.

EM: What do you enjoy most about your work?

AT: For me, it’s the thrill of the design process itself. I love the moment when the first perspectives come together and you sense that this is the right solution for this particular place. Architecture can be complex and requires patience, but when an idea turns into a real space, it’s always a moving experience.

LH: For me, the most rewarding moment is when a house is finally lived in. Seeing our clients move in, seeing spaces filled with life, with family and friends – that’s when the building fulfils its true purpose. Those moments remind us why we are so passionate about what we do.

EM: And what is the greatest compliment you can receive?

AT: I value it most when clients tell us they felt truly heard and understood throughout the process. Listening carefully is essential if you want to turn personal dreams into built reality.

LH: And when, at the end of a long project, someone says: “It was a pleasure to build with you” – that’s the best compliment of all. Because building a home should never be a source of worry, but of joy.