Architects: Rick Joy + Wendell Burnette Architects.
Location: Utah, United States.
Year: 2009.
Photographs: Joe Flechter, Aman Resorts.
The three architects were inspired to work together on an inspiring sight for hotelier Adrian Zecha. They created a bold yet responsive settlement that both honours and celebrates southern Utah’s cliffs and rock formations. The 34-room resort is situated against a low sandstone rock formation inspired by ancient settlements, and guests can appreciate the rawness and natural beauty of the surroundings and the region’s light play throughout the day. The suites are situated in two elegant wings, which sweep from each side of the resort’s main Pavilion. The four-bedroom provides absolute privacy, hidden from the resort behind a rock escarpment.
The 2,322m2 (25,000ft2) Aman Spa at Amangiri is a setting for relaxation, with five separate pavilions and water elements. The architecture mirrors the timeless nature of the surrounding rock formations, with concrete blocks carved by program, movement, and light. The interiors have been custom-designed to blend in with the architecture and the surrounding landscape. The resort’s concrete geology was developed to appear as cast stone or frozen sand, and the walls were cast smooth to reflect the ever-changing light in the landscape.
