The Marquee, pavillions like parachute

Somewhere between the past and the future, under the Arabian sun and the starry desert sky, the snow-white pavilions of the Marquee Hotel are awaiting you. Here privacy go together with comfortable relaxation, poetic images are embellished by innovative technologies, and state-of-art architecture addresses the challenging climatic conditions. Sustainability is at the core of this project. The hotel is powered by an off-grip solar station and equipped with cutting-edge technologies to achieve net-zero emissions and minimal energy consumption. On-site water treatment is implemented to filter waste water while underground heat pumps are used for heating and cooling. The buildings are made mostly of locally procured materials, such as low-carbon concrete and glass reinforced fibre panels. The architectural basis of the concept is the marquee pavilion used by Oriental nomads since time immemorial. In present-day interpretation, its shape has become minimalistic and dynamic, resembling a piece of white canvas filled by the wind. The unique character of the architectural plan is in the juxtaposition of the unusual mountainous landscape resembling a picture from Mars and the ultra-modern ‘marquee pavilions’ whose outlines and articulate circular geometry make them look like a science-fiction settlement of space travellers on a faraway planet. Staying at this hotel allows you to appreciate anew the splendour of our planet, gives you an unforgettable experience of living alone with Nature, fills you with energy and provides you with complete relaxation and helps you to make an imaginary trip into the future. The spherical shape does not just look spectacular, it also serves a unique functional purpose: it protects you from the scorching sun, prevents sand from building up and does not require regular cleaning. When designing the buildings, the architects took into consideration the sun’s motion path and the degree of the tilt of sun rays in order to create adequate shade along the length of each building without limiting the arc of vision from within and thus affording impressive views from the windows. Besides, the spherical shape allowed putting windows at the most advantageous spots in the interior, for instance, above the bed in the bedroom so that to have a view of the starry sky at night. Another unique feature of the construction is that there is no need for outer load-bearing walls, so they are light and can be made of glass. Even though it looks open, it was important to keep the privacy of life and rest. Each villa is equipped with a ring-shaped swimming pool and an ‘island’ inside it with an upholstered rest area and a firepit. The carefully planned layout of the buildings affords stunning views of the desert and the mountains without you having to see nearby buildings. Several villas have a tropical garden on the ground floor too. The comfort and functionality of the interior invites you to indulge yourself and stay as long as possible at the hotel. The hotel concept was based on the single stylistic approach to every building and to the elements of the infrastructure. The marquee pavilion design was enhanced by automatic collapsible sunscreens looking like curved petals allowing you to stay in the shade while moving about the hotel and the sunshades at the relaxation area near the water. The hotel’s public area is a group of pavilions united by glass domes with variable degree of transparency which depends on the position of the sun – this creates a comfortable microclimate even when the temperature is high. The vital role in the hotel’s image is played by different lighting scenarios. Both interior and landscape lighting systems are designed to remain unseen by customers’ eyes. Split-level soft lights became an integral part of design and architectural solutions. During the daytime, the interplay and sheer contrast of the sunlight and the shade emphasise the suppleness of lines, but the image changes when the darkness falls. The decorative lighting brings forth the curves of pavilion arches and the relief patterns. The interiors of the Marquee Hotel are quite different from the usual stylistics of modern hotels. The interior décor echoes the architectural lines and has a minimum of perpendicular and straight lines. The ambience is created by fluid wide arches of window apertures and by the views one can see out of them. The curtain system controls the degree of openness and light intensity. The purity of shapes can be seen everywhere: in the succinct lines of the furniture, in the ergonomic functional design, in the absence of visual noise.