A series of hotel developments within the Libyan landscape serve to be part of a wider vision for the WAHAT Tourism development
Client:
Al WAHAT Tourism
Collaborators:
OMA / Camillin Denny, PH Warr
Our landscape concepts for a series of unique ‘Green’ hotels within the Libyan desert focused on restoration and relaxation.
Whilst working at Whitlelaw Turkington, founder director Phil Deacon led a team of landscape architects to produce a series of Stage C concepts supporting a Tourism Masterplan for Libya.
Libya has a rich wealth of tourism opportunities ranging from important historical landmarks and artefacts dating as far back as the Jurassic period, to an abundance of beautiful natural landscapes including the Mediterranean coast, Eljabel Elakhdar (Green Mountain), Eljabel Elgharbi (West Mountain), and the vast Saharan desert with its lost settlements and hidden oases.
Green Hotels
Working closely with Camillin Denny Architects this project sought to establish a series of ‘Green’ hotels set across the Libyan landscape using sustainable development techniques to support exploration, relaxation and a museum/research hub.
Understanding The Sense Of Place
Each location was appraised to understand opportunities for tourism and accomodating sensitively-designed hubs for rest and relaxation in-between tours. The proposals included restoring a lost medina, creating a series of villa and communal dining areas and spas, incorporating a hotel into a rock-side and the creation of a series of pop-up hub buildings that could be removed out of season.
The concepts embraced the transient nature of the desert. They offered drought-resistant planting and using local building materials to create unique hotels that would enhance the setting whilst providing comfort through a series of inviting indoor and outdoor spaces.
It is hoped that as the security situation in Libya improves these interesting concepts will become reality.
