Designinterview
Numa Beach Klub · 20 spørgsmål
Numa Beach was conceived as an architectural mirage — a place where the horizon, light, and material merge into a single continuous gesture.
What is the main principle, idea and inspiration behind your design?
Numa Beach was conceived as an architectural mirage — a place where the horizon, light, and material merge into a single continuous gesture. The main principle was disappearance: to design a space that dissolves into its surroundings. The inspiration came from the Mediterranean itself — its silence, reflection, and the weightless rhythm of the sea. Concrete becomes skin, glass becomes air, and water becomes light.
What has been your main focus in designing this work? Especially what did you want to achieve?
Our focus was to build an atmosphere, not a building. We wanted to achieve serenity through precision — to create a space where material and proportion evoke the same stillness you feel when staring at the sea. The goal was emotional equilibrium: brutalism without brutality.
What are your future plans for this award winning design?
Future plans include expanding the concept into new contexts, always preserving its essence: architecture that disappears, leaving only the emotion of the sea.
How long did it take you to design this particular concept?
The concept evolved over several months. However, its refinement — calibrating reflections, alignments, and shadow depths — took much longer. In a project defined by silence, precision becomes the ultimate form of expression.
Why did you design this particular concept? Was this design commissioned or did you decide to pursuit an inspiration?
It was a commissioned project, but we approached it as a creative experiment. The client’s vision aligned with ours: to reinterpret beach architecture as an act of restraint rather than exhibition. Numa Beach was born from inspiration — a commission transformed into philosophy.
Is your design being produced or used by another company, or do you plan to sell or lease the production rights or do you intent to produce your work yourself?
All design, construction, and material development were carried out by Minimal Studio. From the structural logic to the detailing of the furniture and bar, everything was directed in-house. The unity of concept and execution is non-negotiable.
What made you design this particular type of work?
We were interested in redefining the beach club typology — to move away from cliché luxury toward a pure spatial experience. The project explores how architecture can amplify nature through subtraction, not addition.
Where there any other designs and/or designers that helped the influence the design of your work?
Influence came from silence — the atmosphere of Ando, the precision of Pawson, and the sculptural minimalism of art rather than architecture. The project is an intersection of their philosophies translated into a Mediterranean language.
Who is the target customer for his design?
Numa Beach is for those who seek emotion in simplicity. For people who understand that true luxury lies in proportion, reflection, and calm. It’s not a place to be seen — it’s a place to feel.
What sets this design apart from other similar or resembling concepts?
Its control. Every surface, reflection, and alignment was choreographed. The concrete is raw, yet perfectly balanced against glass and water. There’s no ornament — only geometry, proportion, and shadow. The entire experience feels suspended between earth and sea.
How did you come up with the name for this design? What does it mean?
“Numa” is short, elemental, and neutral. It sounds like a breath — fitting for a space that seeks to capture stillness. The name reflects the project’s essence: calm, rhythm, and impermanence.
Which design tools did you use when you were working on this project?
The process started with hand sketches and light models to study the relationship between geometry and reflection. Then, digital modeling ensured structural precision and visual alignment with the horizon. The final design was refined on site — guided by light and intuition.
What is the most unique aspect of your design?
Its invisibility. Numa Beach doesn’t impose; it blends. The architecture frames the landscape rather than competing with it. The play between concrete, water, and light transforms minimalism into emotion.
Who did you collaborate with for this design? Did you work with people with technical / specialized skills?
We collaborated with structural engineers and local artisans specializing in concrete finishes and glass integration. Every collaboration was directed toward achieving exactness — a technical ballet behind apparent simplicity.
What is the role of technology in this particular design?
Technology was essential to control reflection and durability in a saline environment. However, its role remains silent — it supports emotion rather than dictates it. Technology disappears into craftsmanship.
Is your design influenced by data or analytical research in any way? What kind of research did you conduct for making this design?
Yes. We studied the behavior of light throughout the day, surface temperatures, and reflection patterns across materials. This data shaped the project’s rhythm — architecture tuned to the frequency of the sea.
What are some of the challenges you faced during the design/realization of your concept?
Achieving perfect visual alignment between interior, exterior, and horizon. Managing reflections on glass and water under natural light conditions. The biggest challenge was to make complexity look effortless — to make silence feel engineered.
How did you decide to submit your design to an international design competition?
Because Numa Beach encapsulates our studio’s philosophy: minimalism as an emotional discipline. It’s a project that connects technical rigor with sensory calm — and we wanted to share that language on a global stage.
What did you learn or how did you improve yourself during the designing of this work?
That light is the ultimate architect. That minimalism is not about absence, but precision. And that emotion, when perfectly calibrated, becomes timeless.
Any other things you would like to cover that have not been covered in these questions?
Numa Beach is not a building — it’s a state of mind.
It’s the moment when architecture stops speaking and starts listening to the sea.