Nadir Fonction principale : Complexe hôtelier by Paolo Demel

Nadir Fonction principale : Complexe hôtelier by Paolo Demel is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 A' Design Award de Bronze in Design d'Architecture, Bâtiment et Structure Competition Category.

BronzeArchitecture· 2026

Nadir Fonction principale : Complexe hôtelier

by Paolo Demel

Client: Paolo Demel

A' Design Award de Bronze Winner in Architecture Category

6,268
Verified Award Winner
Verify Award Status for #180614

View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

Colors

The Design

About Nadir Fonction principale : Complexe hôtelier

Texte du livre : Nadir est un complexe hôtelier implanté au cœur du désert d'Atacama, conçu comme une architecture qui semble extraite de la roche même du terrain. De faibles volumes rectilignes épousent étroitement la pierre, formant de profondes loggias, des cours protégées du vent et des seuils ombragés. L'eau est utilisée comme un miroir rafraîchissant, avec des bassins extérieurs reflétant le ciel du canyon et des piscines enfoncées occupant des chambres taillées dans la roche. Les intérieurs sont façonnés par des surfaces de pierre stratifiée et des ouvertures en oculus qui laissent pénétrer une lumière naturelle maîtrisée, réduisant l'éblouissement et la chaleur. Une palette sobre de maçonnerie couleur sable, un éclairage discret et un mobilier minimaliste soulignent la notion d'abri et l'ampleur de la vue.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award de Bronze

Nadir Fonction principale : Complexe hôtelier est lauréat de l'A' Design Award de Bronze, une reconnaissance hautement prestigieuse décernée à des designs remarquables qui se distinguent par leur créativité, leur ingéniosité et leur sagacité. Les lauréats Bronze sont des artefacts amplement habiles et d'une créativité frappante, qui authentifient la vaste expérience, l'imagination et l'ingéniosité de leurs concepteurs. Nadir Fonction principale : Complexe hôtelier est censé être un objet très estimé, admiré et chéri, remarquablement professionnel et innovant. Ce design lauréat de l'A' Design Award de Bronze intègre les meilleures pratiques de l'art, de la science, du design et de la technologie, et est excellent par son souci du détail. Nadir Fonction principale : Complexe hôtelier satisfait admirablement les besoins, touche les désirs, charme les sentiments et attire la curiosité.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: A monolithic resort in Chile’s Atacama Desert, carved from stratified stone where architecture is defined by void rather than object. Thick, high thermal mass walls, shaded courtyards, and top lit oculi provide passive cooling and controlled daylight. Water elements temper the microclimate and enhance reflections, while a restrained stone and wood palette delivers timeless, durable luxury integrated with the canyon.
Dimensions & Packaging: The resort covers approximately 5,000 square meters and features an outdoor pool, 3 indoor pools, as well as a full wellness area with a Turkish bath, sauna, and relaxation area. The pools range in depth from 1 meter to 3 meters.
Tags: Atacama Desert, desert resort, carved architecture, Nadir oasis, Nadir resort, design oasis, Nadir concept
Production Technology: Developed through iterative massing and void carving studies plan and section first, then 3D parametric modeling to control oculi, courtyard proportions and shadow lines. Material assembly logic is based on locally sourced stone or stone veneer on RC frame with high thermal mass, ventilated cavities, concealed linear LEDs, and waterproofed pool shells designed for low maintenance desert operation.
Design Challenge: The hardest part was balancing excavation with comfort and safety in an extreme desert: creating shaded, quiet interior oases without losing daylight, views, or a clear guest journey. Limited water, harsh sun, thermal swings and fragile geology pushed us to use the rock mass as a climate buffer, minimize exposed facades, and choreograph light wells and courtyards.
Research: design research and site study. Objectives: create a low glare, sheltered resort embedded in rock, with water as an oasis cue. Methodology: climate solar mapping, spatial sequencing, and iterative massing tests. Data Tools: sun path, wind data, 3D models
Inspiration: Inspired by the Atacama’s stratified geology and pre Columbian desert settlements, the project treats architecture as a carved refuge space shaped by subtraction, shade, and silence. Research into thermal mass, controlled zenithal daylight, and evaporative microclimates informed courtyards, oculi, and water basins to create comfort with minimal mechanical demand.
Project Duration: Nadir Resort is a hospitality concept developed from august 2025 to February 2026 for a site in the Atacama Desert, Chile. The proposal integrates architecture with existing rock formations by partial excavation, forming protected courtyards and interior pool spaces. The project was prepared as a design competition submission and visualised through iterative spatial and material studies.
Operation Flow: Guests arrive from the open desert and slip into a cooler, carved threshold. A gentle descent leads through shaded passages where sound, texture and warm light guide the way. Skylights and cuts in the rock reveal a sequence of indoor outdoor oases: pools, lounges and quiet rooms. Movement shifts naturally from social spaces to private retreat, while the surrounding stone keeps the atmosphere calm and temperate.
Image Credits: Image #1 : Paolo Demel (designer), Image #2 : Paolo Demel (designer), Image #3 : Paolo Demel (designer), Image #4 : Paolo Demel (designer), Image #5 : Paolo Demel (designer)