Gheralta Resort&Spa

The Gheralta Resort&Spa project is located on the south edge of a 10 hectares plot of land in Hawzen, North Ethiopia, where a sequence of rocky terraces offers stunning panoramic views over the mountains.

The design aims to define a powerful architecture, with pure volumes that frame the landscape.

The linear shape of the main building is inspired by the trajectory that ideally connects the visitor to the mountains. A stairway carved into the rocky terrain and contained by massive retaining walls leads to the entrance level. Opening an ancient wooden door, the visitors enter the reception: here the light gets through a few linear skylights and flows into the interior space, softly along the rough concrete walls, creating a sacred atmosphere reminiscent of the nearby rock churches. From this room, the guests are drawn by the light that flows from the internal courtyard and finally arrive at the restaurant, where wall-to-wall windows grant a breath-taking view over the Gheralta massif.

The spa, the villas and the suites sit on natural terraces located on a lower level, thus remaining hidden from the gaze of those arriving.

The architecture is a silent envelope, pure in its form: what stands out is not the building itself but the spectacular view.

To allow larger spans for the structures, we choose to use reinforced concrete, pigmented according to the chromatic scale of the environment to minimize the visual impact on the surroundings. Also, the use of green roofs, covered with spontaneous vegetation that changes colour according to the seasons, helps to harmonize the buildings with the shades of the landscape.