Philippe Starck unveils design for organic olive oil mill outside Ronda in Spain’s Andalucia

AN ecological olive mill that is being designed by French architect Philippe Starck will open in early 2023 outside Ronda.

The construction is 50% finished and on target for completion by Christmas, said director of the project, Santiago Muguiro.

 “We are past the most complicated phase, so everything will speed up now,” he said.

The mill is being built by LA Organic, an artisan olive oil company in Spain, which is seeking to cash in on so-called olive oil tourism by promoting visits in the same way that vineyards offer tours and wine tasting.

The mill is the French designer’s third work in Spain, after Port Adriano, a marina in Mallorca and La Alhondiga – a multi-purpose venue in the northern Basque city, Bilbao.

Costing around €22 million, LA Organic hopes the mill will attract 150,000 visitors a year. 

“There will be several aspects to it, not just producing the oil. There will be a museum and a gastronomic area as well,” explained Muguiro. 

The site lies on a 26-hectare estate 3km outside Ronda on the road towards Campillos. 

Nicknamed El Toro – the bull – because of the huge horn design feature protruding from the facade, Starck said the design would include elements inspired by painter Francisco de Goya, and Abbas Ibs Firnas, considered the father of aeronautics.

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