This is not a mirage. This is Al Faya Lodge, the boutique hotel with SPA created by ANARCHITECT in the heart of the Sharjah desert, in the United Arab Emirates
London and Dubai-based architecture firm ANARCHITECT has completed the Al Faya Lodge, a contemporary boutique hotel with SPA, in the middle of the Sharjah desert, at the foot of Mount Alvaah (United Arab Emirates). The building is part of the Sharjah Collection, a series of boutique hotels strategically located in different parts of the Sharjah desert.
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The spaces of the Al Faya Lodge before and after renovation
Al Faya Lodge is housed in two one-storey buildings from the ’60s, previously occupied by a clinic and later by a grocery store. ANARCHITECT reinvented these spaces successfully transforming them into a boutique hotel with restaurant, adding a spa building to the existing structures.
The redevelopment and expansion of the spaces deliberately created a clear break between old and new structures. The weathering steel used for the additional layers is in sharp contrast with the original fabrics of the buildings.
This hotel includes a dining room, a reception hall, a library, a roof terrace, and a fire pit. Its five rooms are equipped with skylights allowing guests to admire the starry sky; in the luxe room, it is also possible to enjoy the view on a private roof terrace. The purpose-built SPA offers an outdoor swimming pool and three salt thermal paths. The reception and the restaurant, detached from the guestrooms and the SPA, are on the opposite side of the street.
An architecture attentive to local climatic conditions, which absorbs and takes into consideration the surrounding nature
Al Faya Lodge is located in the heart of the desert, in an extremely hot area in summer, with intense and prolonged sun exposure. In that region, rain and sandstorms are also common, as well as a sharp drop in temperature at night. ANARCHITECT, considering the climate of the Emirates and the need for a boutique hotel, tried to build a structure as resistant and durable as possible, also relying on materials suitable to the surrounding nature.
The structure is made of local stone and concrete, which are resistant to the extreme temperature fluctuations typical of this region. As to the surfaces, on the other hand, weathering steel, aluminum and strong woods such as teak were chosen, which, besides making the interiors more elegant, are able to ensure durability. [Text Carlotta Russo-Ph: Fernando Guerra]
Discover here the new hospitality concept of the 25hours The Circle Hotel in Cologne
Click here to discover Palazzo Experimental in Venice
