Nadir Primær funksjon: Feriested by Paolo Demel

Nadir Primær funksjon: Feriested by Paolo Demel is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 A' Design Award i Bronse in Arkitektur-, bygnings- og strukturdesign Competition Category.

BronseArkitektur· 2026

Nadir Primær funksjon: Feriested

by Paolo Demel

Client: Paolo Demel

A' Design Award i Bronse Winner in Arkitektur 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 Primær funksjon: Feriested

Boktekst: Nadir er et feriested plassert i Atacama-ørkenen, utformet som arkitektur som fremstår som brutt ut av terrenget. Lave rettlinjede volumer ligger tett inntil fjellet og danner dype loggiaer, vindbeskyttede gårdsrom og skyggefulle terskler. Vann brukes som et kjølende speil, med utvendige bassenger som reflekterer himmelen over kløften og nedsenkede bassenger som fyller uthulede kamre. Interiørene formes av lagdelte steinflater og oculus-åpninger som slipper inn kontrollert dagslys, og reduserer blending og varme. En tilbakeholden palett av sandfarget murverk, belysning og minimale møbler fremhever ly og vidstrakt utsikt.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award i Bronse

Nadir Primær funksjon: Feriested er vinner av A' Design Award i Bronse, en høyt prestisjefylt anerkjennelse som tildeles enestående design som utmerker seg ved kreativitet, oppfinnsomhet og skarpsindighet. Bronsevinnere er rikt dyktige og påfallende kreative gjenstander som bekrefter designernes store erfaring, fantasi og ressurssterkhet. Nadir Primær funksjon: Feriested forventes å være en høyt ansett, beundret og verdsatt gjenstand som er bemerkelsesverdig profesjonell og nyskapende. Dette designet, som har vunnet A' Design Award i Bronse, rommer beste praksis innen kunst, vitenskap, design og teknologi og utmerker seg ved sin omtanke for detaljer. Nadir Primær funksjon: Feriested tilfredsstiller behov på en strålende måte, berører ønsker, sjarmerer følelser og vekker nysgjerrighet.

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)