The New Zealand practice of Bergendy Cooke – in charge of the concept, design, and interiors – has in collaboration with the Moroccan architect Amine Abouraoui built this hotel beside the Majorelle Garden in Marrakech. Reinterpreting vernacular architectural tradition with a contemporary language, the monolithic sculptural mass is carved with arched openings at different scales.

In a unique simplification exercise, recognizable elements of local construction – such as arches – are playfully inverted in the windows and balconies of the upper levels. Clad in a mix of earth and quicklime in reddish tones, the complex is surrounded by an outer wall that presents a combination of smooth and grooved surfaces.