The client wanted a timeless, intimate, playful space and the brief asked us to create not only an instantly recognisable destination but also a modern day oasis.
It needed to serve as a place of retreat, offering respite from the intensity of the city. Exploring Marrakech, with its bustling Medina (Old City) with its labyrinth of streets, the Souks (small shops selling local wares from carpets, textiles, ceramics, spices and chameleons) can be an intense, even alarming, experience of sensory overload.
Inspired by the local vernacular, without replicating it, we created a unique and playful contemporary language while maintaining a textural reference to the site’s rich history : A playful interpretation of recognisable Arabic architectural elements distilled through foreign eyes, combined with a reference to the ancient rampart walls of the Marrakech Medina.
An abundance of lush vegetation and running water in various volumes conjures up the notion of oasis.
Beginning with a sculptural solid mass, we carved selected incisions and voids varying in scale where necessary. This provides a variety of spatial experiences through scale, light and shadow. The surrounding gardens use a similar language. Varying levels of planting form private gardens for guests and a dynamic layer of foliage throughout, contrasting to the sculptural building form and enhancing the idea of urban oasis. Water runs continuously through the garden and guests can fall asleep to its gentle music in the evenings.
The exterior is comprised of various plaster finishes, handmade tiles and local terrazzo to public zones, including the entrance wall defining its presence on the street. Highlights of brass denote transitions between various areas, from street to hotel, and from public to private spaces.
We wanted to showcase the rich artisanal heritage of Morocco and so embraced local artisans, materials and their application in a less traditional context. Materials were chosen for their timelessness and will gather rich patina over time. Interior surfaces invite you to touch them. The sinuous, sensual staircase in the core asks you to run your hands along its walls as you ascend or descend, while the exterior surface, dyed naturally in a shade of pink chosen from a palette of acceptable colours for buildings in Marrakech, plays with the natural light.
Although the Maison operates as a hotel, conceptually the project was conceived notionally as a large home, perhaps the home you dreamed of. A home constantly full of interesting friends. With this in mind a lot of consideration was given to providing a multitude of comfortable private spaces outside of the bedrooms and the result is that even at full capacity you are largely unaware of the majority of the guests. Having only 8 rooms also helps instil a sense of intimacy.
Materials:
Pisé to all exterior: A mixture of earth and quicklime in a colour selected by us to sit within the prescribed pink palette of Marrakech.
Tadlelakt: Hand polished plaster, an incredible skill that the locals have perfected over centuries. This was applied to all exterior recesses (in pink to match the Pisé and interior walls and ceilings in bone colour. This created the true sinuous forms of the interiors as the material and finish lends itself to being organic in its application.
Terrazzo: To upper floors and serving to create a datum to all bedroom walls as well as becoming, bathroom sinks and all wet areas. Finished in grey and pink. The grey terrazzo was also used for the pool.
Bejmat: Handmade tiles to the Garden floor which extends to the terrace.
Local limestone to pool surround.
Locally custom-made steel joinery for windows and doors, brass to the entry door.
