A habitable work of art in Ronda
Gloria wanted to leave Paris, even though she did not yet know what she was searching for. It was enough for her to arrive at this place, just outside the Andalusian town of Ronda (Málaga), to find it. A country estate set within a biosphere reserve, where she could fully immerse herself in nature without drifting too far from urban life. Love at first sight, and the place where she would build her new home.
“Sometimes you think you are the one choosing something, when in fact it is that something that chooses you,” says Gloria Cohen, the protagonist of this new chapter of My Singular Space.
When she arrived in the Sierra de Grazalema (Málaga), something stirred within her. “The very first day we set foot on this land, we were greeted by a ballet of eagles… nature in its wildest state,” she recalls.
In that moment, she knew this would be the place where she would build her home. Her intention was for the surrounding wilderness to become part of the architecture itself. A dream made reality through expansive windows distributed throughout the house, allowing the landscape to flow indoors.
Designed by architect Kourosh Mohsenipour, La Mandaluz—the name its owner gave to this place—is a unique and irreproducible property. The result of a cultivated and deeply artistic vision, where every corner has been conceived as an aesthetic experience. Unsurprisingly, Gloria is a Fine Art Specialist, and her personal imprint is evident from the moment one enters. “This is not a conventional country house; it is an almost urban home set within what could be described as a borrowed landscape,” she explains. She adds: “There are larger and more affordable places, but I did not want to live somewhere remote, far from urban life. I am a city girl. I was born in Casablanca and have lived in Geneva, New York and Paris… Being able to see the lights of Ronda from here makes you feel connected to the city. Everything you need is close by.”
A sense of retreat and connection with nature
From the moment you arrive, the house reveals its true essence: a serene balance between sculptural design and landscape, where every architectural decision responds to both aesthetic and emotional intent. Views over the Sierra de Grazalema Natural Park embrace the home, reinforcing a profound sense of retreat and connection with nature.
Gloria explains that when evening falls, she stops whatever she is doing to savour the moment. “I don’t want to miss it… In fact, when I’m travelling and it’s six or seven in the evening, I think: the landscape must be spectacular there right now. That’s what I miss most when I’m away. I miss that feeling…”
Arranged over two levels, the house has been created with exquisite attention to detail, integrating site-specific artworks, bespoke architectural elements and carefully selected materials that echo the identity of the Andalusian landscape—an environment that, in many ways, evokes her childhood. “Unconsciously, we tend to seek out places that move us and, at the same time, remind us of our childhood. Both things happen at once. The place you fall in love with reconnects you to your past, while simultaneously becoming a new experience,” she explains.
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