A Golden Treasure Chest

By Editorial Staff - 1 April 2025

In the heart of Palma de Mallorca, the charm of a 19^th-century building melds with contemporary interiors in the new flagship store of watchmaker Relojería Alemana, founded in 1879. Designed by Ohlab, the project involved the total renovation of the seven-story building and its 900 sq. m of floor space. It now accommodates various sections, including a 700 sq. m multi-brand store, Rolex and Patek Philippe boutiques, a watch workshop, storage spaces, and a showroom with a panoramic terrace.

At street level are customer reception areas and the boutiques of the two prestigious Geneva watch brands. Near the entrance, stairs with golden steel wall panels and spotlights invite customers to go explore the various levels of the store. As they move upwards, they step into captivating atmospheres created by an interplay of spotlights, which sparkle like golden stars.

HQ e flagship store di Relojería Alemana | © José Hevia, courtesy Ohlab Il piano terra, caratterizzato da un soffitto a cassettoni in legno, ospita gli spazi destinati all’accoglienza dei visitatori e quelli dedicati a Rolex e Patek Philippe, i cui prodotti sono esposti su tavoli vetrati.

The second floor has bright green tones, evoking a mood of understated yet elegant luxury that is perfectly in step with the rest of the store. Surrounded by mirrored walls, the multi-brand space adjoins a lounge area, complete with a golden minibar framed by stylish green velvet curtains. The same shade of green appears again on a suede wall in an area used to display pre-owned watches and on a button-tufted wall that leads to a more private area. Featuring timber wall paneling, stone floors, decorative ceilings, and – by way of reference to the brand’s tradition – golden brass and steel details, this private area is a perfect balance of contemporary style and history.

The third floor includes a workshop, where six expert watchmakers occupy individual stations designed to help them achieve maximum care and precision. Streamlining the store’s operations, the upper floors include storage and office spaces.

HQ e flagship store di Relojería Alemana | © José Hevia, courtesy Ohlab Un minibar dorato, incorniciato da un morbido drappeggio in velluto verde, riprende l’abbinamento cromatico presente anche negli ambienti destinati al retail.

While each level reflects a contemporary and innovative esthetic, they also integrate harmoniously with the building itself. The design team carefully chose the materials that demarcate each section to create a series of ever-changing scenes, making the store an immersive experience in which the tangible and ephemeral intertwine. Alternating elements such as cofferxed timber ceilings, plaster rosettes, brass finishes, and stone floors take customers on a journey through time that celebrates the dialogue between tradition and modernity.

The design team’s interpretation of the luxury concept defines all the different spaces. And these spaces are more than just physical, but are shaped by an interplay of illusions and appearances that transform the flagship store into an experience that embodies the essence of the brand and its history, while also projecting it into the future.

Relojería Alemana HQ and Flagship Store | © José Hevia, courtesy of Ohlab | With the mood set by a coffered timber ceiling, the street level floor hosts customer reception areas and dedicated spaces for the Rolex and Patek Philippe brands, with their timepieces elegantly displayed on glass-topped tables.

Relojería Alemana HQ and Flagship Store | © José Hevia, courtesy of Ohlab | A staircase with gold-colored walls invites customers to explore the multiple levels of the retail and exhibition space. With each step, they enter increasingly enchanting environments, in which the interplay of light creates scintillating effects.

Relojería Alemana HQ and Flagship Store | © José Hevia, courtesy of Ohlab

Relojería Alemana HQ and Flagship Store | © José Hevia, courtesy of Ohlab | Moving farther upwards, customers come to a mirrored wall that creates a mood of elegant yet understated luxury.

Relojería Alemana HQ and Flagship Store | © José Hevia, courtesy of Ohlab | A gold-colored minibar framed by lush green velvet drapery echoes the color palette of all the retail spaces, reinforcing a cohesive design narrative.

Relojería Alemana HQ and Flagship Store | © José Hevia, courtesy of Ohlab | The interiors of the Relojería Alemana flagship store express the exclusivity of the historic watchmaker through a meticulously curated color and material palette. Soft, button-tufted green upholstery is a feature.

Relojería Alemana HQ and Flagship Store | © José Hevia, courtesy of Ohlab | A central element of the store concept is “dynamic materiality”, whereby materials are used to foster a sense of ever-changing scenes and offer an unprecedented experience to customers as they move through the store.

Relojería Alemana HQ and Flagship Store | © José Hevia, courtesy of Ohlab | The second-floor exhibition area for pre-owned watches features a wall upholstered with green suede. On the third floor, the workshop hosts six expert watchmakers, who practice their trade with the utmost care and precision.

Location: Palma de Mallorca, Spain
Client: Relojería Alemana
Completion: 2023
Gross Floor Area: 900 m²
Architect and Interior Designer: Ohlab
Main Contractor: Goccisa

Consultants
Structural: Hima Estructuras
Building Engineer: Jorge Ramon
Facilities: Ingenio Consultores

Photography: José Hevia, courtesy of Ohlab

You might also like:

Interior Design & Contract 10

THE PLAN Interior Design & Contract 10 is the ninth supplement that THE PLAN has dedicated to the world of interior architecture. The publication, out in April 2025 as a supplement to THE PLAN 161, looks at around twenty of the most important intern... Read More