flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

New resort will be carved directly into a mountainside

Hotel Facilities

New resort will be carved directly into a mountainside

The project is is located in western Saudi Arabia.


By David Malone, Managing Editor | September 27, 2021
Desert Rock resort
Image courtesy Luxigon

A new resort has broken ground in Saudi Arabia with the goal of redefining the concept of sustainable architecture. Dubbed Desert Rock, the project is the first inland resort of The Red Sea Project, a destination comprising 50 resorts, 8,000 hotel rooms, and 1,000 residential properties across 22 islands and six inland sites.

The resort will not be built on a mountainside but will instead be carved directly into the ancient rock itself. The materials removed to carve into the site will then be reused to create the resort’s infrastructure.

Aerial of Desert Rock in Saudi Arabia
Image courtesy Luxigon.

The ground stone and existing sand will be used for concrete aggregate, which will be the main building material for all the architecture. Using the excavated material to build the project will ensure that it will have the same integral colors as the surrounding landscape, further immersing the architecture in its setting. Water retention and distribution systems will be used throughout the site, with harvested rainwater used to create a more green, flourishing wadi.

Desert Rock suite
Image courtesy Luxigon.

Desert Rock will feature 48 luxury villas and 12 hotel rooms that all offer panoramic views of the surrounding desert. A range of accommodation will be available, from ground level dwellings to crevice hotel suites midway up the mountain. A select number of excavated rooms will be located within the rock massif itself.

Resort amenities will include a spa and fitness center, remote destination dining areas, and a feature lagoon oasis. Guests will be able to hike, use dune buggies, and star gaze as part of the site-wide activities program.

Oppenheim Architecture designed the project. The Red Sea Development Company is the developer. Desert Rock is slated to welcome its first guests by the end of 2022.

View from Desert Rock suite
Image courtesy Luxigon.
Desert rock interior ensuite
Image courtesy Luxigon.
Desert Rock full resort
Image courtesy Luxigon.

 

Related Stories

| Jul 10, 2014

BioSkin 'vertical sprinkler' named top technical innovation in high-rise design

BioSkin, a system of water-filled ceramic pipes that cools the exterior surface of buildings and their surrounding micro-climates, has won the 2014 Tall Building Innovation Award from the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat.

| Jul 9, 2014

Dragon-inspired hotel conveys Vietnamese hospitality [2014 Building Team Awards]

An international Building Team unites to create Vietnam’s first JW Marriott luxury property.

| Jul 7, 2014

7 emerging design trends in brick buildings

From wild architectural shapes to unique color blends and pattern arrangements, these projects demonstrate the design possibilities of brick. 

| Jul 7, 2014

A climate-controlled city is Dubai's newest colossal project

To add to Dubai's already impressive portfolio of world's tallest tower and world's largest natural flower garden, Dubai Holding has plans to build the world's largest climate-controlled city.

| Jun 30, 2014

Research finds continued growth of design-build throughout United States

New research findings indicate that for the first time more than half of projects above $10 million are being completed through design-build project delivery. 

| Jun 18, 2014

Arup uses 3D printing to fabricate one-of-a-kind structural steel components

The firm's research shows that 3D printing has the potential to reduce costs, cut waste, and slash the carbon footprint of the construction sector.

| Jun 17, 2014

World's tallest pair of towers to serve as 'environmental catalyst' for China

The Phoenix Towers are expected to reach 1 km, the same height as Adrian Smith and Gordon Gill's Kingdom Tower, but would set a record for multiple towers in one development.

| Jun 12, 2014

Austrian university develops 'inflatable' concrete dome method

Constructing a concrete dome is a costly process, but this may change soon. A team from the Vienna University of Technology has developed a method that allows concrete domes to form with the use of air and steel cables instead of expensive, timber supporting structures.

| Jun 9, 2014

Green Building Initiative launches Green Globes for Sustainable Interiors program

The new program focuses exclusively on the sustainable design and construction of interior spaces in nonresidential buildings and can be pursued by both building owners and individual lessees of commercial spaces.

| Jun 2, 2014

Parking structures group launches LEED-type program for parking garages

The Green Parking Council, an affiliate of the International Parking Institute, has launched the Green Garage Certification program, the parking industry equivalent of LEED certification.

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category

3D Printing

3D-printed construction milestones take shape in Tennessee and Texas

Two notable 3D-printed projects mark milestones in the new construction technique of “printing” structures with specialized concrete. In Athens, Tennessee, Walmart hired Alquist 3D to build a 20-foot-high store expansion, one of the largest freestanding 3D-printed commercial concrete structures in the U.S. In Marfa, Texas, the world’s first 3D-printed hotel is under construction at an existing hotel and campground site.




halfpage1

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021