Intercontinental Maldives Maamunagau Resort
“For this resort the eco.id team sought to not let luxury be defined by opulence and glitter, but with honesty and authenticity, for a timeless resort property.”
Mindful of the limitation of resources for island construction, the design did not adopt special skills that require high technology nor did it require unusual, rare finishes and materials. The luxury is defined by spatial planning, quality of spatial volumes and the curation of guest experience.
Throughout the resort architecture, pared-down, localized elements are the essence. Off-form and subtly textured concrete finishes paired with timber log columns. Modern Nako louvres are introduced as a response for natural light and ventilation control.
The guest facilities areas are designed as a main cluster utilizing the calmer main stretch of beach front as a vibrant hub for the All-Day-Dining, a Deli & Library Lounge and the Main Pool that offers a Pool Bar and varied pockets of in-pool zones.
Guests are offered different experiences in the resort with highlights such as the jetty doubling up as a seafood destination and creating an “isolated” lighthouse that serves Mediterranean cuisine.
Standing at the end of a spit that changes shape according to the tides of the season, the Light House has become the landmark for InterContinental Maldives.
“There is a certain mystical romance to this Light House, it almost looks isolated, standing alone in the deep blue horizon where the sky and the sea meets. At certain angles, it almost looks like it is floating with no land form in sight. It is not only picture perfect, it is an ethereal escape.”
To complete the facilities, a signature Spa extends to the south-west corner taking in the ocean view and marine life as a tranquil setting overwater as seasonal sand build up washes in and away underneath.
While a typical Maldivian resort would utilize the inner portion of the island as the back-of-house, main service zone for the resort, this resort shifted the entire back-of-house to a corner of the island. This shift made efficiencies to the daily incoming and outgoing boat services to be away from guest’s private areas, while being at a central position that oversees the entire stretch of resort including the long Water Villa jetty.
This in turn creates a new offering for a Maldivian resort, where the real estate is then given back to the guest as private garden extensions for each Land Villa. The private real estate gardens of these villas helped create an executive type of land villas, within the “Club Intercontinental” tier which comes with their own privileges and perks.
During construction of the resort, care was taken in the reclamation of the three islets through the study of ocean tides and wave movements. To encourage sustainability during operation, facilities were designed for waste management.
The abundant marine wildlife around the island is a testament of the design’s integration into the wider environment.
