A love letter to Retro Futurism, the imaginative hotel will occupy five acres of Judean Desert and overlook the Dead Sea. Rose Dykins reports
A new luxury resort is planned to open in 2025 in the Judean Desert, with a fascinating aesthetic combining ancient heritage, contemporary design and Space Odyssey vibes.
Developed in collaboration between Bar Orian Architects and Lambs & Lions Studio, the 109-room property will be built on a plot of land covering 20 dunams (five acres) of the Judean Desert, overlooking the serene landscape of the Dead Sea.
Drawing upon creative inspiration from ancient “resting hotels” and a “space odyssey,” design theme, the hotel will celebrate a symbiotic connection to its surrounding natural desert landscape.
Fattal Hotel Group, Israel’s largest hospitality organisation, is the developer of the project, and 7Minds, a new group collection of boutique hotels, will operate the property.
Firstly, the hotel is designed to maximise open space, natural light and clean, unpolluted natural airflow, and the majestic panoramic views. Each of the property’s rooms and suites will face out towards the desert to maximise the privacy of the rooms and balconies.
The second guiding architectural principle for the property is based upon protection from desert weather conditions. The hotel is designed in the shape of a desert khan: a building with square proportions and a large courtyard in the centre.
Lambs & Lions Studio have designed the hotel’s interiors and furnishings in line within the “space odyssey” theme. Another nod to the otherworldly natural beauty surrounding the hotel, the interior design concept captures the unique atmosphere of the “jagged bluffs of the Judean Desert… carved out of dry tan-coloured canyons rising from the cobalt blue waters of the Dead Sea”.
The company says: “This breathtaking natural beauty is almost ‘out of this world’ and more akin to the opening scene of Kubrick’s 1960’s masterpiece 2001: A Space Odyssey.”
Lambs & Lions wanted to combine the cinematic dynamism of 1960’s “Retro Futurism” with a natural and tactile material palette. Angular forms are juxtaposed with the soft curves of Atomic Age architecture and the colours and textures of Bedouin desert dwellers are incorporated in contemporary touchpoints. The overall effect aims to combine: “Unexpectedness with intimacy and tactility through incredible design.”
The garden will also be used as a vegetable garden serving the hotel and its restaurant. On the lower level of the property, there will be an outdoor infinity pool.
The construction and development materials used to build the property symbiotically connect with the rough and raw desert landscape – such exposed concrete and washable plaster. They are inspired by the earthy tones of the desert, blending in with the natural environment of limestone and sandstone mountains and valleys.