Hassan Fathy
Sa Bassa Blanca's main building, home to the foundation, has gone through different stages throughout its history. Originally, it was a typical Majorcan farm house, dedicated to agriculture and native livestock. During the Spanish Civil War and until the 70's, the edifice was a military base due to its strategic location on the Bay of Alcudia. In 1978 the property was acquired by a consortium of which Ben Jakober and Yannick Vu formed part. They commissioned the Egyptian architect Hassan Fathy (1900-1989) to draw up the plans, which made Sa Bassa Blanca the only building designed by him in Europe. The rooms of the new building, thought of as a "ribat", were organized around a central courtyard. The Hispano Moresque character of the building is well suited to the island of Mallorca, having seen many different civilizations over the years. In April 2011 the Hassan Fathy building was declared a Listed Building (Landmark) by the Heritage Commission of the Government of Mallorca.