The project takes shape as a journey, even before becoming a building. A voyage that begins in Friuli Venezia Giulia, crosses the Mediterranean, and arrives in Marrakech, a layered, dense, and complex city, capable of enveloping those who pass through it with a total sensory force. For two young architects at their first professional experience abroad, this encounter was not merely a design challenge, but an act of deep listening, an exercise in respect and cultural cross-pollination.
Everything begins with the simplest thing, the initial gesture: a greeting. Sālam, says the Moroccan. Mandi, replies the Friulian. The project’s title, as well as the logo itself, encapsulate the entire concept underlying the design. When two cultures meet, they seek a common denominator in order to communicate. Starting precisely from the gesture that marks the beginning of every encounter, the greeting, a closeness of meaning and thought was discovered.
Marrakech, through the eyes of a visitor, reveals itself slowly: in the saturated colors of its walls, in the scents of spices, in the light filtering through the alleys of the Medina, in the sudden silences of its inner courtyards. It is from this immersion that Māndi takes form, an Italian Boutique Riad in the pulsating heart of the city. The project unfolds as a continuous dialogue between two seemingly distant worlds, finding balance through synthesis. The opulence and chromatic richness of Moroccan tradition meet the measured elegance and minimalism of Italian design, giving rise to an authentic, essential, and profound language.
The theme of the arch becomes the guiding thread of the entire project, a recurring sign that leads the gaze and structures the spatial experience. The entrance is conceived as a strongly evocative threshold: three concentric arches accompany the transition from exterior to interior, creating a gradual loss of reference points and preparing the visitor for a more intimate, enclosed world. Once past the threshold, the central courtyard reveals itself as the heart of the building. Here, three large arches dominate the patio and define its main perspective. These elements reinterpret the traditional mosharabi in a contemporary key, transforming it into an architectural filter that engages with light, generates ever-changing shadows, and preserves the introverted character typical of the riad. At the center of the courtyard, the presence of water and native plants reinforces the idea of a silent oasis, in contrast with the intensity of the surrounding city.
Inside, the project reshapes the spaces according to a clear hierarchy of use. The ground floor hosts shared functions: the dining room, the bhou, the traditional space for rest and social interaction, and the swimming pool. The first floor, instead, accommodates the guest rooms, conceived as private, quiet, and welcoming spaces—true refuges where intimacy and calm can be rediscovered. Each room is designed as a protected microcosm, in dialogue with light and material. The private bathrooms become experiential spaces: each is characterized by a different color inspired by Moroccan spices, expressed through handcrafted zellige tiles and tadelakt surfaces. Warm, deep tones, from pepper to saffron, from cumin to chili, transform a daily ritual into a sensory experience.
Finally, the terrace opens up to the sky of Marrakech: a solarium, sky bar, and event space where the gaze flows over the rooftops of the Medina, eventually dissolving into a horizon of snow-capped mountains and minarets. Māndi is the result of a path of growth, both personal and architectural. A project that tells the story of the courage of a first step, the delicacy of listening, and the beauty born from an authentic encounter between cultures. A journey that, while ideally returning to its point of departure, leaves nothing unchanged.
