A hotel stepping down to the Nile at Aswan.
Guests arriving for a few days on the river: a stone courtyard to arrive in, rooms that open to the water, terraces for the evening and a landing for boats.
Low stone terraces follow the rocky bank so the hotel sits within the landscape, not over it. Every room faces the river. Shade comes from deep eaves, pergolas and palms, and the entrance is a calm court.
Local stone, shade and the river itself do the work, which is why the hotel will age well.
Alexandria, Egypt · Mixed-use · Hospitality and resorts
We designed the tower and its base as one gesture. Garden terraces step down from the shaft and meet the promenade, so the building gives its ground back to the city.
A clear silhouette, a generous public edge and local planting give it the presence of a landmark rather than a trend.
Siwa, Egypt · Hospitality and resorts
The buildings take the shape of the dunes around them: soft, low, warm in tone and shaded by deep curving roofs. Water cools the air and links the pavilions, and paths are lit gently so evening arrival is on foot, slowly.
Because they borrow their form from the dunes, they look as if they have always been part of Siwa.
Alexandria, Egypt · Mixed-use · Hospitality and resorts
A structural lattice wraps the taller tower and opens at its base into a pointed entrance, so structure becomes both identity and shelter. The two towers stand at different heights so that they read together from the water and apart from the street.
Pattern, proportion and glass that changes through the day.
