Bronzo Architettura · 2026
Nadir Funzione primaria: Resort
by Paolo Demel
- A' Design Award di Bronzo 2026 in Architettura
- CLIENT: Paolo Demel
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 6,268
- Verification code F9DF152422 · Verify this award
Colors
About Nadir Funzione primaria: Resort
Testo del libro: Nadir è un resort situato nel deserto di Atacama, progettato come un'architettura che sembra estratta dal terreno. Volumi rettilinei bassi si adagiano stretti alla roccia, formando profonde logge, corti protette dal vento e soglie ombreggiate. L'acqua è utilizzata come specchio rinfrescante, con bacini esterni che riflettono il cielo del canyon e piscine ribassate che occupano ambienti scavati. Gli interni sono modellati da superfici in pietra stratificata e aperture a oculo che ammettono una luce diurna controllata, riducendo abbagliamento e calore. Una palette contenuta di muratura color sabbia, illuminazione e arredi minimali enfatizza il senso di riparo e l'ampiezza della veduta.
About the A' Design Award di Bronzo
Nadir Funzione primaria: Resort ha vinto l'A' Design Award di Bronzo, un riconoscimento altamente prestigioso conferito a design eccezionali che si distinguono per creatività, ingegno e astuzia. I vincitori di Bronzo sono manufatti ampiamente abili e sorprendentemente creativi che autenticano la vasta esperienza, l'immaginazione e l'intraprendenza dei loro designer. Ci si aspetta che Nadir Funzione primaria: Resort sia un oggetto molto apprezzato, ammirato e amato, notevolmente professionale e innovativo. Questo design vincitore dell'A' Design Award di Bronzo incorpora le migliori pratiche dell'arte, della scienza, del design e della tecnologia, ed è eccellente per l'attenzione al dettaglio. Nadir Funzione primaria: Resort soddisfa splendidamente i bisogni, tocca i desideri, affascina i sentimenti e attira la curiosità.
Press Kit
- 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)
