Amangiri which means “peaceful mountain” is a resort located on 600 acres in Canyon Point, Southern Utah, close to the border with Arizona. The resort is tucked into a protected valley with sweeping views towards the Grand Staircase – Escalante National Monument. Architecturally, the resort has been designed to blend into its dramatic surrounds with natural hues, materials and textures a feature of the design. The structures are commanding and in proportion with the scale of the natural surroundings, yet provide an intimate setting from which to view and appreciate the landscape.
The hotel was designed to look like a massive block of rock that have emerged from the earth through natural erosion by the elements. To achieve this natural look, architects used a mixture of local sand and cement to closely match the colour and density of the surrounding geological formations. Because of its remoteness, a special concrete casting plant had to be built on-site and colossal moulds were used to achieve the resulting monolithic forms.
The resort is a 25-minute drive from the nearest town of Page, Arizona and a 15-minute drive to the shores of Lake Powell. Arrival to the resort is via a winding road that descends into the valley and leads to the central Pavilion. Built around the main swimming pool, the Pavilion embraces a dramatic stone escarpment. Within the Pavilion are the Living Room, Gallery, Library, Dining Room, Private Dining Room and Cellar. Two accommodation wings lead from the Pavilion into the desert: 16 suites are located within the Desert Wing and another 18 suites together with the Aman Spa are located within the Mesa Wing. Outward views from the resort look over the untouched valley surrounded by lofty bluffs.
They really did an incredible job customizing the resort to the landscape, especially making custom concrete to fit the pallet. I admire the innovation of Utah landscape architects who went beyond the mold to achieve their goals.
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