Golden Beach will be a gathering point for visitors from Fujairah and Sharjah
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Burt Hill’s beach resort in Fujairah aims to unite expats and nationals in a search for tranquility
Some travel to escape life, others to invigorate it and still others travel to simply experience a life they never knew existed. But a truly transformative trip has the power to do all three. When Burt Hill set out to design an exclusive resort development in Fujairah, UAE, on a coastal site where the Hajar Mountains and Indian Ocean meet, it was not without challenges. But in the case of Golden Beach Resort, Burt Hill found that the opportunity to create a truly transformative experience far outmatched the cultural challenges of the region.
A resort development differs from other projects because, by its very nature, it is designed to deliver an escape; a ‘world apart’. The design challenges that an architect faces when taking on a resort project are also a world apart from those encountered in more typical projects. The features of a vacation site that distinguish it as an escape from the real world make the architect’s role invaluable—it is the architect’s design and vision that ultimately create the inspiring, eye-opening experience for which travellers yearn.
VISION: LOOKING TO THE PAST TO SHAPE THE FUTURE
For Golden Beach to deliver a ‘world apart’ to its guests, it took a critical analysis of the existing culture, but also, an analysis of the world the way it once was in Fujairah. The first thing the Burt Hill design team examined in shaping the future of the resort was in fact the history of the region.
The team learned that the most common and oldest profession in an emirate that boasts more than 90km of coastline was, not surprisingly, fishing. But in Fujairah, fishing was historically much more than just business; it was a social foundation that shaped the emirate. Thus, the Burt Hill vision emerged from studying old fishing villages where a sense of intimacy was created by incorporating narrow alleyways and closely set buildings to bring it down to human scale.
In studying these fishing villages, Burt Hill learned that the density of the buildings and the low building height allowed residents to sense the gradual movement in space from narrow passageways to larger piazzas. Above all, it inspired a sense of discovery within the space. This sense of discovery would be a key element in creating a resort that was truly transformational.
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In addition to studying Fujairah’s fishing tradition, the Burt Hill design team took a deeper look at the city and its land formation. The city is a composition of several mountain chains and a dramatic coastline along the Arabian Sea. This blend was the inspiration behind designing a cascading or ‘stepped’ building rather than building a Dubai-like high-rise tower, which had the potential to disrupt the city’s natural context. The cascaded terraces resemble the stepping of the mountains at the background of the site and create a link between the soaring mountain chain and the beach front.
Accordingly, the vision began to take form with the idea of a stepping fishing village. By stepping, we were able to use different dimensions and different levels to help break the banal rhythm of repetitive buildings. While it was important for the design to meld well with the context of the site, it was equally important that it provide an inspiring experience for end users. The differing levels of terraces provide intimacy and privacy to guests who desire panoramic views and serenity in the midst of the ocean and mountains.
By designing the resort in a village-like cluster, we were able to establish a strong relationship between the traditional character of the fishing villages that once dominated the region and the contemporary living that accommodates our present living style.
VISION: MODERN, YET VERNACULAR
In articulating the vision for this project, it was essential that Burt Hill not only look to the past to see what was built, but also to see how it was built in terms of the architectural elements used in the facade design. This level of analysis would allow the team to truly convey the vernacular architecture of UAE.
While this is one aspect that architects and developers often ignore in resort design, in the case of Golden Beach, it seemed counterproductive to disrupt the natural beauty of the surrounding context. With a goal of preserving this beauty, we embraced the vernacular style of tradition to the emirate and we infused it with modern features so as to bring lavishness into the interior space.
While aiming to strike a balance between modern and vernacular design, the modern aspects of the design concentrate on the type of local materials used, converting exterior design elements such as pergolas, niches and archways into a simpler edition that is more representative of Fujairah’s vernacular. On the other hand, for the interiors, luxurious and contemporary elements that are more commonly associated with modern design—including the use of marble, chandeliers and stylistic frosted glass for most of the handrails—would be more appropriate.
The design must retain the essence of Fujairah’s traditions, yet it should deliver a contemporary feel that maintains a distinct character. For instance, we simplified and ‘modernized’ the traditional screens, still using wood to represent the lattice work, as well as keeping its original function as a shading device.
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