Photography: Fernando Guerra
04 / 06 / 2020
Words: Joana Jervell
Al Faya Lodge is the result of an exciting challenge, perfectly expressing the studio’s enthusiasm for a contextual approach, through details and materials.
This is the latest addition to the Sharjah Collection boutique hotels network, commissioned from Jonathan Ashmore, the founding architect of the Anarchitect practice, who is responsible for its architecture and interior design. Rising from the middle of an uninhabited desert landscape, the Al Faya Lodge hotel and spa offers a refuge that invites us to slow down while we appreciate the natural beauty of the red desert, not many miles north of Dubai.
Located on the slopes of Monte Alvaah (Emirate of Sharjah) close to the UAE’s first petroleum pump, it was built over two pre-existing stone structures dating back to the 1960s, which were taken advantage of by the project team as a protective layer, to which they added new elements, contrasting with the original buildings, thus reinforcing the juxtaposition between old and modern.
Located on the slopes of Monte Alvaah (Emirate of Sharjah) close to the UAE’s first petroleum pump, it was built over two pre-existing stone structures dating back to the 1960s, which were taken advantage of by the project team as a protective layer, to which they added new elements, contrasting with the original buildings, thus reinforcing the juxtaposition between old and modern.
Examples of this include concrete walls, providing thermal mass to protect the indoor spaces from the dramatic swings in temperature, driving rain and sand storms. And then there are the finishes using corten steel and teak wood, that provide a second more elaborately worked layer, according to Ashmore, with the purpose of “adding refinement and precision to the design particularly for over-sailing roofs, shading elements and terrace decks raised above the level of the sands.”
For more information, visit Sharjah Collection website.
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