saunders architecture: fogo island inn
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'fogo island inn' by saunders architecture, fogo island, canada
image courtesy of fogo island inn
fogo island is an easily overlooked spec of ice located in the subarctic region off the coast of newfoundland, landlocked by a frozen sea of ice
in the winter while flowering with berries in the summer, a landscape that has remained relatively unchanged for thousands of years;
it is 'far away from far away.' its inhabitants are deeply entrenched in the seaward culture of the rock, including retired fibre-optics
businesswoman zita cobb who, shortly after returning home, created the shorefast foundation to organize and fund projects that will
revitalize the small 'outport', making it a hub for artists and eco-tourists around the world. so far her endeavors have led to the creation
of several artists' studios located in various spots, including the tower studio, bridge studio, squish studio, and long studio all designed
by canadian-born architect todd saunders of saunders architecture. none of these, however, can compare to the scale of her current
project being carried out by the same architect. the 29-room 'fogo island inn' situated on a promontory off the northern side of the small
land mass will contain over 40,000 square feet of program spread out over five stories, and although it is said to cost a cool $500 per night,
it is already revered as one of the must-see places of a lifetime, beginning in november when it is scheduled to open to the public.
wood is the primary construction material used, reflecting the vernacular traditions it also leaves a certain respect to the landscape that
in many ways holds a much larger significance than any structure built on it could ever have. the massing consists of two oblong
rectangular volumes, stacked at a slightly different angle to form an X. this greatly reduces the direct impact on the site while still providing
the necessary area without creating a massive construct that sits completely out of scale with the context. the ground floor is reserved for
a restaurant led by one of canada's highest ranked chefs, the main lobby, library, movie theater and independent art gallery, followed by
four levels of individual rooms, and a spa and sauna facility on the rooftop enjoying views over the sea and island.
video preview of todd saunders' work on fogo island
video © site media inc
image courtesy of fogo island inn
image courtesy of fogo island inn
image courtesy of fogo island inn
under a clear night sky
in front of the northern lights
image courtesy of saunders architecture
image courtesy of fogo island inn
the white wooden envelope is painted with the various colors of the sky, ocean, and snow
image courtesy of fogo island inn
image courtesy of fogo island inn
scaffolding over the white-painted wooden planks
image courtesy of fogo island inn
array of solar panels on the southern elevation
image courtesy of fogo island inn
tall columns that support the overhanging volume
image courtesy of fogo island inn
wood cladding
image courtesy of fogo island inn
model
image courtesy of saunders architecture
just couldn’t wait until it was completed to show it off, eh?
looks promising and based on the previous work, should be stunning, but this presentation with all the scaffolding in place does not do it any favors
Love seeing the construction pictures.
Thank You.
I’m curious. How does the construction crew protect this fragile landscape when working? Are the larger materials and equipment helicoptered in? Where is the staging area?
Do tell, please.
Probably looks more interesting with scaffolding on.
That said, cladding treatment of this building is very compelling. That it appears to be solid concrete under sunlight, and dissolves at dusk. DB must update with pictures of interiors and the finished building!
We visited Fogo last August and visited three of the buildings. The main hotel is easily accesible from the highway that traverses Fogo Island. The staging area is in a few parking lots on either side of the main road, about 1 kilometre from the site.