Denton Corker Marshall

The brief includes a Retreat Hotel and Spa, a residential apartment development, and an aparthotel on an undeveloped site containing areas of outstanding natural beauty.

Taking maximum advantage of the natural features each component is strategically located to take account of the views, the natural landscape, historic man-made features and the topography.

The five-star 80 rooms Retreat Hotel is located in the Southwest Corner of the site, nearest to the coast and the spectacular views down the valley bordered by the natural forest. The geometry of the buildings and their relationship to the landscape are inspired by the natural stone walls which cut through the site, historically defining individual ownerships and spaces.

The residential development is traffic free, 65 two storey Villas located in linear blocks arranged in pairs and orientated to respond to the natural contours of the site. The blocks are interrupted by the prominent historical stone walls and these breaks enable passage and views southward toward the sea.

The design creates urbanized landscapes between the linear blocks which allows the natural landscape to prevail outside of these areas. Thus the block groupings create architectural external spaces, which provide transition spaces between the wild natural landscape and the controlled internal areas of the buildings.

The Aparthotel comprises 160 apartments arranged in five clusters to the East of the site. This location is more rugged and varied in typography which suggests a less formal grouping of buildings. The buildings will be sited to reflect these local differences while retaining the same natural pallet of materials used for the residential buildings.

Client
Inland Group / Promovalour Pt
Location
Algarve, Portugal
Collaborator
Promontorio
Sector
Hotels
Collaboration