LURA 5 Hotel and Residences

The project is located in Lalzi Bay on Albania which has a unique landscape of pine trees and endemic plants. The project aims to keep and conserve this vibrant and virgin nature as much as possible while proposing an outstanding and alluring new touristic development. The main intellectual frame of the design is to be in conversation with the existing natural texture and to create a unique environment with an emphasis on a fragmented naturality.

The project site has a unique flora of large trees with varying clusters and the location and density of these trees is the most important criteria for the conceptual framework and master plan decisions. The conserved pine trees set a natural and tranquil atmosphere as they act like green umbrellas engaged in a dialogue with buildings.

The fragmented design language which was also a part of the general approach was enriched with the use of a natural and textured material palette. The main driver behind the material choices is the aim to blend the buildings with the nature and make them disappear as much as possible. Natural stone, timber, earthy shades of textured plaster and exposed concrete are the main materials of this palette with their various colors and texture.

The program is composed of villa units, townhouses and a hotel. The complex offers a variety of experiences in recreational facilities together with SPA centers, pool areas and shopping facilities.

ABOUT EAA-EMRE AROLAT ARCHITECTURE

EAA-Emre Arolat Architecture was founded in May 2004 by Emre Arolat and Gonca Pasolar in Istanbul, as the continuation of Emre Arolat’s architectural practice which he started at his parents’ office, Arolat Architects in 1987. Today EAA is not only one of the largest architectural offices of Turkey, also has a recognized presence in the global scene along its offices in New York and London in addition to Istanbul. Since its establishment, the studio has built an impressively wide range of works from urban masterplans, airports to residential, cultural buildings and workplaces.  EAA is highly regarded for its ability to reconcile the identity and rootedness of the context and the place within its cultural, historical and geographic conditions, with the inescapable demands of the contemporary world to succeed in delivering a compelling design as result.

The architectural significance of EAA was supported by many international awards including the Mies Van der Rohe Award for European Architecture for the Minicity Theme Park in Antalya, Turkey in 2004, and the Aga Khan Award for Architecture with the design for the Ipekyol Textile Factory in Edirne, Turkey in 2006. More recently, in 2018, the Sancaklar Mosque is awarded with RIBA International Prize. The co-founder and lead designer of the practice, Emre Arolat has been internationally sought-after lecturer at prestigious universities. Recently, he taught at the Advanced Studio at Yale School of Architecture as Norman R. Foster Visiting Professor in the 2017 Fall Semester. In 2019, Arolat has been elected as an Honorary Fellow of the American Institute of Architects (AIA). In addition to that, he served at the Steering Committee of Aga Khan Award’s Fourteenth Cycle (2017-2019).

For a comprehensive portfolio of EAA projects please visit: www.emrearolat.com