Luxuria Lifestyle Spain interviews Klaus May

Klaus May has been designing and building high-quality houses, villas, and hotels for three decades, focusing on the Costa Blanca, Ibiza, and Mallorca – regions of Spain that perfectly suit his particular architectural finesse. His signature style is chic, contemporary, with clean lines, bright, open spaces, and modern, minimalist forms. It is 21st-century Mediterranean chic with a Balearic flair.

Ibizastyle® and Klaus May’s Architectural Roots

LL: The company Ibizastyle® and your roots as an architect.

KM: After training as a carpenter, I worked as a restorer on famous listed buildings such as Sanssouci Palace and Palais Wannsee in Berlin. After master school and studies, I have been working independently as an interior designer since the age of 26 and also as an architect for 25 years on the Spanish mainland. My company Fincastyle® developed the “historical finca in a modern guise”, and since then I have realised over 160 projects to date. With Ibizastyle® (since 2008), I created completely new forms from old Byzantine architecture. White, cubic building forms have also shaped the architecture on Ibiza.

“There are no boundaries between architecture, design, and art. Axes, symmetries, and minimalist design create my unmistakable style.”
Klaus May – Owner & Architect

What Defines the Ibizastyle® Signature?

LL: Mr. May, what characterises your style? What is typical of Ibizastyle® Klaus May?

KM: Architecture must never become decoration! Clear forms and lines and axes. High rooms flooded with light, some up to six metres high. Views and vistas from the foyer over the pool to the sea. Thermals, sun, and lighting conditions are always taken into account – my houses function perfectly in daily life.

Explaining ‘Architecture Should Never Become Decoration’

LL: Architecture should never become decoration. Could you please explain that?

KM: Architecture must always have a function. Decoration in architecture is superfluous. Decoration should be limited to the furnishing of the house. A beautiful house always has one design element too few; it lives from minimalism.

Klaus May’s Definition of Luxury

LL: Please tell us your definition of luxury?

KM: Luxury in real estate only becomes an investment through its location. Luxury means being able to enjoy things that you can do without but don’t really want to.

The Perfect Holiday Home Today

LL: What does the perfect (holiday) home look like today?

KM: Basically, a suite should be planned for each family member or guest, or at least one bedroom with en suite bathroom. Three to four suites, large open-plan salon, dining area with modern, complete kitchen, utility and technical rooms, lift, infinity pool should be standard. Automatic shades and blackouts, heat pump, solar system, central air conditioning, underfloor heating, floor-to-ceiling windows and doors as well as dressing rooms, domotic system, atmospheric lighting ambiance, video surveillance, alarm system as well.

The Secret to Surviving Crises

LL: You have survived all crises. What is the secret of your success?

KM: Perfectionism and passion! I personally look after the customer every step of the way, right up to the after-sales service. It starts with the selection of the plot. Then, in consultation with the customer, we develop his or her personal Ibizastyle® dream house – from the floor plan to 3D representations – and then build it on schedule at a fixed price. For most customers, we often already realise the 4th property and have also successfully marketed all of them for the customers.

The Byzantine Roots of Ibizastyle®

LL: The IBIZASTYLE® brand is based on the Byzantine style. Where does the preference for this architectural trend come from? Does it have something to do with the Byzantine rule on the Balearic Islands?

KM: Ibizastyle® is “timeless”. And yes, the purity of form and functionality that gives this style its timelessness is certainly what connects it to the ancient architecture of the Balearics.

COVID-19’s Impact on Luxury Buyers

LL: The changes due to COVID-19 have been rapid. Has the pandemic changed buyers’ search criteria?

KM: Through my experience since the beginning of the pandemic, our clients are now looking for even more privacy than before. Quiet, intimate locations with good light, in rural areas like Mallorca, a bit away from the metropolises. The definition of luxury has changed a lot as a result. People long for nature, peace, and serenity, combined with the perfect ambience and lifestyle.