PROJECT REPORT: HOTELS, RESTAURANTS & BARS 39


location, with limited access. To enhance the site’s appeal and turn it into a sought-after tourist destination, the architects suggested introducing additional functions such as a spa centre, villas, as well as a large family park, as part of “trying to make sense of it all,” explains Flisher. “With Narada’s help, we hope to transform it into a destination that really works.” He adds: “it’s been like retrofitting a masterplan.” The owner was impressed with the new designs and contracted the architects to deliver detailed designs for the public areas such as the reception building, as well as other parts of the scheme which were not initially included in their brief.


Design evolution


The architects initially envisioned a unique tribute to the site’s mining heritage, with the intention of constructing a “stone village” out of the existing quarry site. The vision was to construct all buildings using stone, so they’d appear as though they had emerged from the quarry itself. However, as the design progressed, the


project’s materiality evolved to comprise both natural stone and timber, as well as organic materials including green roofs


ADF APRIL 2023


and abundant vegetation. Zhao further elaborates that the design is a fusion of “both traditional and modern elements.” Building within the ex-quarry – and on a site of natural beauty – presented some “interesting opportunities and challenges,” asserts Flisher. He says that it was a vital project aimed to create a symbiotic relationship between the buildings and surrounding landscape. As he explains, this required careful consideration to ensure the buildings were positioned and formed in a way that respects the landscape while maximising the site’s potential. With the structures centred around the lake (but elevated above the lakeside and sitting on complex terrain), the architects adopted what Flisher describes as a “free approach to the levels.” This led to their strategy of excavating into the quarry so that the buildings “go into the ground as much as they come out of it.” Fortunately, as the client is a quarry operator who “doesn’t mind digging holes,” says Flisher, these ideas were practical to realise.


Spa centre & villas The spa, which is still in the concept phase, sits at the top of a hill, its volumes


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The overarching ambition is to transform the former quarry into a major tourist destination


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