t Meet the architec whose elegant designs are as breathtaking as they are modern
PropertyMalaga gets the S pro pain in pert ’s be En y m st gli a sh g
BUILDING BEAUTY INTO NATURE
See page 14
MARCH 2025 AUGUST
ss.es
www.theolivepre
Zaha Hadid touch
for long-term subsidised homes of luxury and ces alongside 80 balance southern Spain local residents - bringing a an industrial pocket that’s sizzling in once T’S not just the sun a bold architectural makeo- community to what was king. - Malaga is getting as it is groundbrea have of the city. is equally consideat ground level beneath dramatic Architects ver, and it’s as glamorous The streetscape out at Zaha Hadid The global icons of a new 21-storey residential red. Cafes and shops spill courtyards and and it's nothing white overhangs, while landscaped just unveiled pictures and locals to minin the El Bulto area, waves of invite both residents stunner set to rise l theatre. Sculptural ya- public plazas palm short of architecturawrap skyward like a luxury gle. under golden lighting, on sleek glass and concrete - and each floor is a fluid ripple Think balmy evenings glasses diners clinking forms. cht caught mid-saillines and seamless design. trees swaying, and sculptural t fluidity nestled between of balconies, softthe sparkling Mediterranean coast new terracesHadid fashion, it’s all high-concep fully rebeen Perched along Malaga’s busy marina, the In true Interiors haven’t n scheme. and right beside n minimalism paired and no harsh angles. a wider regeneratio expect ultra-moder the rhythm tower is part of alone, it’s clear the project is going un- vealed, but natural finishes, all tuned to From the renders statement. The tower’s sleek, with elegant and shadow throufor a bold aesthetic Malaga is fast soft of the coast. plays with light of this showpiece, dulating façade blending a futuristic edge with With the addition destination to rival Barcelonabe can design a zone ghout the day, industrial ma- becoming organic curves. glass ensures that views of the pa- proof that even a once-grim and a whole lot vision, investment, d and truly Floor-to-ceiling reimagined with are uninterrupte rina and coastline of architectural swagger. high-end residennoramic. t promises 153 The developmen
I
OVE MAKE THE M
rs are being urged monthly more EXPAT homeowne have an average the avmortgages as above mort- in Madrid to review their loans to different of €4,600, well seen fixed-rate The trend has the market, account- incomenationally of €3,900, while the people switch their the gages dominateall new home loans - a erage banks. requested for in save money taken hold as lenders average amount for 80% of at €288,000 The trend has advised they could y attractive switching ing bank transfer stands in- Expats in Spain historic high. are offering increasingl their mortgag- the capital. eight consecutive mortgages as bank homeownfor Among those moving deals following by the European Cen- by reviewing their suggests expat 75% are opting t rate cuts to new banks, highest level since The data save significant money by terest rate cuts past year. thanks to interes the wave of mortgage changes esfixed-rate the arers could rises deals, as mortgage trend tral Bank over the known current “After caused by soaring reviewing their 4.5% Moving your mortgage in 2022 and 2023 are now excellent early 2022. the charge in requests rangements. Spain - rose to in the expect By Walter Finch ‘subrogacion’ in Euribor rates, there conditions being Madrid leads experts don’t to new banks, operations mixed-rate to move mortgagesof all applications However, ching activity to return of all new mortgage at Idealista. deals fixed and of 2025. of autumn second quarter increase since late Several lenders are now offeringbonus- offered,” said Juan Villen, encourag- representing 26.7% by Catalunya at bank-swit record levels This is the firstto data from idealista/ at around 2.5% with maximum signed “Banks are even activelymortgages, nationwide, followed at 14.2% - key to thewhen it peaked at over 16% variable Andalucia 2023, being 2023, according ing those with who signed fixed- 22.8% and markets. es, with some operations all operations. below. hipotecas. well as some levels, to review expat propertyto move their mortgage of as the ECB has close to 2% or even ly reduce as Those seeking The surge comesinterest rates down at will undoubted provide rate deals at higher Switching .” and driven eurozone their mortgages Spanish banks monthly payments to just 2%, prompting ly attractive fixed- greater stability. to offer increasing . rate mortgages
EYEOPENERS
Discover some of the very best of Spain’s architecture in our property magazine inside See Page 9
OLIVE PRESS BORDER Heated vendetta WOE ANDALUCÍA
Man made 37 people arrested and 89 under investigation for sparking fires that have scorched 382,000 hectares of Spain See Page 4
SCAN here for the latest news
FREE
Vol. 19 Issue 476
www.theolivepress.es
August 27th - September 9th 2025
EXCLUSIVE: Costa blaze the result of a battle within the expat community: Bar owner was stabbed just days before thugs torched his bar
GIBRALTAR looks set for a punishing hard border with Spain for months while ratification of the long-awaited border agreement drags on. Hope sparked in June when a sweeping deal on the Rock’s future was finally struck, promising an end to vehicle and pedestrian checks. But bureaucratic hurdles mean the relief could take years to arrive. Reports in El Pais peg the earliest dismantling of the border fence at January 2026 – and even that is far from guaranteed. The treaty must be translated into 23 languages and win European Parliament approval, where tricky MEPs could yet throw a spanner in the works.
A VIOLENT feud within the Costa del Sol’s Irish community is at the heart of a devastating blaze which ripped through a strip of pubs over the weekend. The inferno took hold of the bars and restaurants in Torremolinos on Sunday morning, quickly spreading to engulf seven bars and restaurants as well as a supermarket. Police reported the 5am fire on Calle Salvador Allende destroyed seven outdoor terraces, but only one bar was completely gutted from the inside. The Olive Press can reveal this was The Bailey International and it was an arson attack aimed at its owner, Craig Phillips. While he declined to comment, the blaze was the most recent in a series of violent attacks that have rocked
Chaos
Meanwhile, Spain is gearing up for the EU’s new digital Entry Exit System from October 12, with biometric scanners and expanded passport control already installed – a sign Gibraltar may endure months of suffocating delays. Daily commuters and businesses could face chaos, repeating the disruption seen when Spanish police previously blocked cross-border workers. Gibraltar’s government says it is ‘working towards the earliest timetable possible’, while La Linea’s mayor demands urgent clarity from Madrid.
CHILLING: CCTV footage shows the knife attack as customers sit at the bar
FLAMES: Strip of bars was badly affected by the blaze, which police are treating as arson
By Walter Finch
the local community, with the origins stretching back to Ireland. Phillips is currently recovering in hospital after two masked thugs cornered him in his bar on Thursday last week and slashed him with knives. Shocking CCTV footage acquired by this newspaper shows Phillips standing quietly with two customers sitting at the bar just moments before the horror begins. All of a sudden, a hooded man emerges out of the darkness and leaps over the bar as he backs away. A second attacker then cuts off his escape, and they corner him against a table. Terrified patrons reel in fright as the attackers land several blows against Phillip’s back and neck. They then scurried off into the night, barging customers out of their way. Witnesses have told the Olive Press the attackers did not stop there. Having sent Phillips to the emergency operating room, they came back at the weekend with matches. “There is always trouble in that bar – there was a big fight there just before the fire,” one local business owner told the Olive Press. “The police had to come out and break it up.” He continued: “How can we run a business when this is constantly going on?
“I 100% blame this bar for the fire.” The Olive Press understands that on this occasion, units from the local fire brigade came and were able to put the fire out before it could take hold. But just a few hours later, Baileys and a number of other popular spots were totally torched beyond repair. “I just can’t get my head round it,” Brian Ennis, the nearby owner of Champagne Charlie’s added. “We had been coming here on holidays for 17 years. When the old owner decided to sell up, we took it over. “We were fulfilling a dream. Now our bar is destroyed. I can’t come to terms with it.” The owners of McGuire’s wrote on social media meanwhile that it ‘is a devastating loss for us, and a deeply sad day for our community.’ The alleged reputation of Baileys has
The Scandinavian electricity supplier in Spain
tional Inter na & K U All ms TV syste Sound CCTV - n & Visio ter net & 4G In c ti p O Fiber
BEST DIVING IN ANDALUCIA
Multilingual support Bills in your language Free calls from abroad SPECIAL DISCOUNT FOR THE OLIVE PRESS READERS
952 763 840
Save time and money
Expertise
Service
Trust
With our expertise in the local real estate market, we find the best properties
More than 15 years of experience in guiding international buyers
We take care of all the hassle and offer step-bystep support
Rely on our meticulous approach and steadfast transparency
Jenn Foster | Sales Agent
635 400 099 info@theskydoctor.com www.theskydoctor.com
long preceded the events of the last few days. “We all know what kind of people are involved with that bar,” another owner said, asking to remain anonymous. “I think some men came to scare him. To give him a fright.” The Olive Press understands the attackers even targeted Phillips’ mother at her home in Cork last year. The local fire brigade and Gardai were called to a house fire on September 13, it was reported. But what has been behind all these attacks against Phillips? “It was payback for something Craig did,” a source told us. Phillips has a chequered past back in Ireland. He was described as a ‘trusted drugs courier’ for a mafia gang in Cork during a trial that he pleaded guilty to when he was just 18. When contacted by this newspaper for comment, Phillips told us to ‘f*** off’. He refused to be drawn further. Forensic specialists from the Policia Nacional have been conducting an inspection of the wreckage this week. Officially they say they are investigating suspected arson.
SCAN TO START SAVING!
info@energynordic.com
+44 754 796 2069
900 696 820 (freephone)
Jennifer@ERA-Costadelsol.com
energynordic.com
Avenida Andalucia 21, 29679, Benahavis, Spain
10% discount with this QR code