architecture: Studio mk27 – Marcio Kogan with Renata Furlanetto
location: Fari Islands, Maldives
photography: © Georg Roske, © Fernando Guerra | FG+SG

product specifications: ah!38 sliding and corner pocket birail and trirail with 11 panels
glazing: IGU 8mm tempered low-e + 22mm argon + 8mm tempered
window dimensions: 1.9000 x 2.700mm = 51m2
finishing: powder coated RAL 1035 semi gloss
add-ons: multipoint lock system

If the ideal island Tomas More called Utopia had an earthly equivalent, it would undoubtedly be this one. In the words of the designers, a space “where hospitality provides romance and deep contact with nature but still boosts social encounter”, intended “to lead people to really share with one another the extreme experience of one of the most remote places on the planet”. In short, the perfect match for the Greek word “utopia”, with its double meaning of “eutopia” (good place) and “outopia” (no place).

Created to provide a radical living experience in an unspoiled natural environment, this 34.500 sqm hotel in the Maldives presents a series of trails and elegant villas, hovering above the exuberant infinite blue waters or perfectly blending with the native dense vegetation and the white sand beaches. An immersive and kaleidoscopic experience, with atmospheres that range from great vitality to complete isolation, powered by the ability of the rigorous delicate architecture to blend with the surrounding environment.

This extreme sophistication and connection with the tropical nature could hardly be achieved without the smooth operability and the uncompromising aesthetics of ah!38 birail and trirail solutions. These floor-to-ceiling sliding glass walls compose three sides of each villa and capture and amplify the landscape while rendering the transition between inside and the generous decks outside virtually unnoticed.

The powder-coated RAL 1035 aluminium frames blend entirely in the colours of the Maldivan nature, matching the textures and tactile qualities of the crosslaminated timber elements and organic fabrics used in the construction and the interior. Alongside, the low-e tempered IGU was engineered to provide an overall thermal performance of 1,1W/m2.K and to withstand a wind load of 1.380Pa. Plenty of open space to commune with nature and to find a phenomenological presence in the world, this complex pushes the boundaries of hospitality architecture while promoting the purest form of luxury.

More photos here