photo of a living room overlooking the sea

Can Lis

Former home of the 20th-century architect Jørn Utzon

Imprint: Updated 7 August 2025

Jørn Utzon was a Danish architect who designed the iconic Sydney Opera House. He retired to Mallorca in the 1970's and built his house, Can Lis on the cliffs by Portopetro in the south east of Mallorca.

Can Lis was planned an organic, unified whole, its layout framing the day-to-day events that marked Utzon family life. Jørn Utzon's ideology centred on this very phenomenon - that architecture is not an external form: it is primarily the frame that encloses a collection of ritualized events. Precise studies in 1:1 of the site potential resulted in a set of interim drawings. Based on these drawings and with the help of the local building contractor Jaime Vidal, the house's final design emerged during the course of the building process.

Can Lis has been singled out by several leading architecture critics as one of the most important houses of the 20th century.

When to come

Access is only given to a limited number of people at a time. 9 months of the year, from September to June, the house is reserved for longer working stays for architects, artists or others working with architectural expression.

Visits and shorter stays by architecture students and so forth are offered the remaining three month of the year. A number of days, the house is open to visitors typically between 12:00 and 16:00. A statement of interest must be submitted. The number of visitors will be limited on a "first come, first served" basis.

Students who, as a part of their studies, wish to visit the house, undertake a survey or in some other way have a specific assignment relating to Can Lis. After applying, they can 'borrow' the house for a maximum of three days. The group should not consist of more than 15 people and residence excludes the hours of 8:00 and 22:00.

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