Hospitality – Abu Dhabi – UAE
Imkan
25,000 sqm
2018
A Mountain by the Sea: A New Kind of Hotel Experience
This project redefines the traditional hotel typology through a bold and imaginative concept—a hotel sculpted like a mountain, rising gently from the sands and cascading upward toward the horizon. The architecture takes inspiration from the landscape itself, with layered terraces, stepped balconies, and outdoor pockets that create a natural rhythm and a dynamic sense of movement.
The building is not imposed on the site—it emerges from it, blending harmoniously with the terrain while gradually revealing expansive views of the waterfront and the distant city skyline. Each level is designed to offer privacy, openness, and a unique spatial experience, with terraces that double as outdoor living rooms, shaded lounges, or serene gardens.
At the base, the open beach becomes an active social zone, hosting a variety of recreational and leisure activities.
This vibrant edge is seamlessly integrated with the hotel’s public spaces, inviting both guests and visitors to engage with the natural setting.
One of the most distinctive elements of the project is the collection of floating glass houses and pavilions positioned above the water. These elegant structures serve as branded restaurants and destination F&B venues, offering immersive dining experiences surrounded by sea and sky. Their transparency and lightness contrast with the solidity of the mountain form, creating a delicate balance between mass and openness, land and water.
This hotel is more than a place to stay—it’s a journey through elevation, nature, and design. A retreat that celebrates topography, invites exploration, and delivers a layered experience of hospitality that’s deeply rooted in place, yet visionary in its ambition.
