Nadir Funzjoni Primarja: Resort by Paolo Demel

Nadir Funzjoni Primarja: Resort by Paolo Demel is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 Premju A' Design Award tal-Bronż in Disinn tal-Arkitettura, Bini u Strutturi Competition Category.

BronżArkitettura· 2026

Nadir Funzjoni Primarja: Resort

by Paolo Demel

Client: Paolo Demel

Premju A' Design Award tal-Bronż Winner in Arkitettura Category

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Verified Award Winner
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View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

Colors

The Design

About Nadir Funzjoni Primarja: Resort

Test tal-Ktieb: Nadir huwa resort li jinsab fid-Deżert ta' Atacama, iddisinjat bħala arkitettura li tidher bħallikieku nqatgħet mit-terren. Volumi rettilineari baxxi joqogħdu ssikkati mal-blat, jiffurmaw loġoġ fondi, btieħi mħarsa mir-riħ u għetiebi mdellin. L-ilma jintuża bħala mera li tkessaħ, b'baċiri esterni li jirriflettu s-sema tal-kanjun u għadajjar imniżżlin li jokkupaw kmamar minquxin. L-intern huwa msawwar minn uċuħ tal-ġebel stratifikat u ftuħ f'forma ta' oculus li jdaħħlu dawl naturali kkontrollat, u jnaqqsu l-għama u s-sħana. Palett moderat ta' bini bil-ġebel bil-lewn tar-ramel, dawl u għamara minima jenfasizza l-kenn u l-veduta wiesgħa.

The Recognition

About the Premju A' Design Award tal-Bronż

Nadir Funzjoni Primarja: Resort huwa rebbieħ tal-Premju A' Design Award tal-Bronż, rikonoxximent prestiġjuż ħafna mogħti lil disinji eċċellenti ddistingwuti mill-kreattività, l-ingenwità u l-għaqal. Ir-rebbieħa tal-Bronż huma xogħlijiet bi ħila biżżejjed u kreattivi b'mod impressjonanti li jawtentikaw l-esperjenza vasta, l-immaġinazzjoni u l-ħila ta' riżorsi tad-disinjaturi tagħhom. Huwa mistenni li Nadir Funzjoni Primarja: Resort ikun oġġett imqabbar ħafna, mammirat u maħbub, notevolment professjonali u innovattiv. Dan id-disinn rebbieħ tal-Bronż jinkorporaw l-aħjar prattiki fl-arti, ix-xjenza, id-disinn u t-teknoloġija u huwa eċċellenti fl-attenzjoni għad-dettalji. Nadir Funzjoni Primarja: Resort jissodisfa l-ħtiġijiet b'mod eċċellenti, imiss ix-xewqat, jinċanta s-sentimenti u jattira l-kurżità.

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)