La Querola Luxury Complex Nears Completion in Andorra After 20 Years

Promoters of the La Querola luxury residential complex in Ordino hosted potential buyers and media on Thursday for a presentation marking the project's near-completion after 20 years of development. Approximately half of the 51 units—spanning 300 to 700 square metres across seven buildings on a 34,000-square-metre mountainside plot—have sold, with prices from €2.4 million to €6.3 million based on €8,000 to €9,000 per square metre.

Xavier Santamaria, one of the promoters, confirmed the sales progress and detailed the €130 million investment in local materials including wood, black stone, slate with thousands of handcrafted facade pieces, and concrete. He noted that replicating the project today would exceed €200 million due to rising costs. Construction began 14 years after the initial Barcelona unveiling in 2004, employed up to 100 workers at peak, and halted only two weeks during the 2020 pandemic.

French architect Jean Nouvel designed the ensemble to blend into the steep terrain, minimising visual impact while achieving high energy efficiency and sustainability standards. Local architect Josep Ribas, part of Nouvel's team, called it "a sculpture with functional content," emphasising interiors adapted for livability within the artistic form. He highlighted its global uniqueness as an architectural residential complex and suggested it could attract professionals and students. Ribas likened the 51 individually designed homes—varying in layouts, room counts, and dimensions yet sharing a cohesive style—to "51 tailor-made suits."

The project overcame numerous challenges, including construction incidents, terrain stabilisation on a sloped site with irregular roofs and panoramic openings, permitting delays resolved by an August 2011 agreement among landowners, the Ordino commune, and promoters, and environmental protections for a local amphibian species in a sensitive wetland area. Broader setbacks encompassed the 2008 financial crisis, permitting disputes dating to a 2006 parish submission, COVID-19, and recent material price surges from the Ukraine war.

Santamaria described the initiative, led by Jordi Cerqueda, as a bid to create an iconic Andorra landmark using quality traditional materials, rather than chasing profits: promoters aimed simply to break even. Pre-2008 market norms favoured speed over care, he added, but La Querola proved high standards were feasible at market rates. Buyers so far include high-net-worth Andorran residents aged 40 to 50 with a strong appreciation for architecture.

The launch unfolds amid heated political and social debate on housing access, recent rental contract reforms, and demands from parties, groups, and unions for broader affordability measures.