The hotel project by LAN Architecture rapidly became a small city project, a human settlement in which habitat, commerce, education, politics, and culture are combined. To achieve their objective, they set a strategy where each component of the project plays an essential role in the definition of the whole: rooms become a roof, roof is a plaza, the plaza a window, the window a façade, the façade a landscape, etc. More images and architects’ description after the break.
The building consists of a low rise hotel and recreational complex. It measures 32,7m x 144,8m. Spread over three levels and dug partially into the slope, it appears to float above the contour lines and is orientated to the west, parallel to the slope with views towards the Salar of Atacama. The principle theme of the project is to generate transitional spaces between outside and inside that reduce energy needs and offer a variety of different situations.
