kristin green's fortress on the coast: la plage d'hotel du pacifique
‘la plage d’hôtel du pacifique’ by kristin green, vanuatu
image © peter bennetts
photographer peter bennetts has shared with us images of the almost completed ‘la plage d’hôtel du pacifique’ designed by australian architect kristin green along the south-pacific coast of vanuatu. although not completed, the skeletal structure as it exists today already evokes powerful spaces somewhere between ancient ruin and spiritual symbol. the hotel contains 18 villas, a restaurant,and a swimming pool and spa facility located along the coast. using only exposed concrete, wood, and tile, kristin green beautifully composes classical elements with re-envisioned details and an aesthetic that seems to have originated in a civilization from another world. the arched openings that are carved out from a series of intersecting walls and planes make for abstracted colonnades and thresholds that freely ventilate the interiors and allow for a fluid circulation. the use of simple geometries leave kinetic compositions on the sweeping walls. the colosseum-like fortress and the smaller units serve as barriers against strong winds and frequent cyclones.
individual villas
image © peter bennetts
entrance with leaf-like wood framing
image © peter bennetts
shared pool and landscape
image © peter bennetts
upper level deck
image © peter bennetts
the concrete structure exhibits strong bulky forms, delicate cantilevers, and sinuous columns
image © peter bennetts
exterior colonnade
image © peter bennetts
villa interior
image © peter bennetts
bird’s eye view
image © peter bennetts
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the images illustrate the composition of the house, where the original wooden structure sits on top of its more recently built foundation.
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its like Scarpa and Soleri sat down to design this with Lou K looking over their shoulders
Brutalism reloaded! Fantastic! We need more of this stuff.
I stayed in Port Villa, Vanuatu , Island of Efate and the Iririki resort in 1987. On what island in Vanuatu is this resort located?
Not forgetting the contribution of Edward James and Oscar Neumayer.
reminds me of Kahn
LeCorbu in the Pacific. Brutal naked concrete. Love it.
But quite eerie. At this stage of the construction the photos give a preview of the aftermath of a category 5 typhoon. Although the arches may help facilitate the flow of water at cat 5 typhoon with high tidal surges these arches/openings and the whole complex for that matter will be under water. And the aftermath is what we see in the photos. I am sorry Kristin. I love the brutal naked architectural concrete massing though.
We visited the site today. The wet season has not been kind and the ‘ruins’ are being taken over by the jungle. This would not happen in Rome. If construction does not start again soon, the structure will be consumed by the elements. At least this would make it more Vanuatu than Abu Dhabi.
What beautiful forms.
Now, Please resurface the not so good looking concrete.
Let it look like this in 50 years, when it has aged.
Not when it is new – Not as a movie set.
This is crude and unimaginative by comparison with the design work and construction that has been done at Arcosanti over the past 50 years.
This should be in a Bond movie