Canyon View Accommodation

Being a part of, returning to what is truly essential, the bond between nature and man. Lodging is, in its simplest expression, being within something, merging with it as a whole.

The reinterpretation of the landscape, the connection between the human being and the mountain, and the creation of sensations which shroud the user in an epiphany of the canyon and oneself; these are the principles for the creation of a temporary shelter which is abstract in form, but unique in experience.

This shelter is located at Plateau Point, one of the hotspots for hikers due to its accessibility and astounding views. Designing in a delicate space such as the Grand Canyon dwells in the appreciation of the mountain above architectural design, proposing a discrete space of simple forms which, submerged in the area, encloses the user and the mountain as one.

The project features three areas which complement one another, and each provides the visitor with a different experience. The first is a circular pond that surrounds everything, capturing the reflection of both the dye of the sky and the chromatic palette of the canyon, with a seemingly never-ending path around it which gives the impression of walking over water while finding the void of the mountain at its edge.

The second is a dig in the center of the pond, a square where the user can be immersed in both water and earth. The play of light created by the walls and openings form a space for personal introspection
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The last is a descending staircase which entails a stroll from the openness of the mountain into a twilight zone, oriented east-west for constant radiance of light into the project area, connecting both the user and the shelter with the mountain.
Earth, sky, and water, are not merely another element, but they constitute a radical experience for those who visit this shelter. The interactions between full and empty, inside and outside, light and shadow, all come together to create a new, unique experience in the Grand Canyon.

INSIDE is a part of the mountain, a shelter where the user can rest after long walks along the canyon, take a bath, sleep, think, and become acquainted with another side of the environment and oneself.