The Maldives for Architecture, Design and Art Lovers
If you’re on the search for a tropical destination where to appreciate modern architecture, design and art and you’re a Maldives lover like me, these 4 curated luxury design-driven hotels will make your dreams come true.
Besides offering the picture-perfect paradise postcard and the finest services, these properties boast a striking contemporary design, dazzling interiors and a brilliant architecture.
Here is the very best of tropical modernism design hotels the Maldives have to offer in 2022
From classical tropical design to Modernism
The past decade, the Maldives have seen the opening of several seriously design-driven hotels that offer a fresh perspective on the local hospitality scene.
The Maldives are known and loved for their typical tropical architecture and interior design.
From ultra luxury resorts to 3* properties, the destination is full of Robinson hideaways with thatched villas and sand-between-your-toes bars and restaurants that take inspiration in the local traditions and island lifestyle.
But a recent interest in contemporary concepts has brought new life to the Maldives hospitality scene with the opening of several seriously contemporary design-driven hotels that offer a fresh perspective on the destination.
Architecture is the skilful, correct and magnificent play
of volumes arranged in light.– Le Corbusier
Maldives Hotels now call on the best interior designers and architects only
Hotel brands and private owners of these new types of resorts have called on only the best architects, interior designers and lighting design consultants to realize their projects. Inside these hotels you will not only see extraordinary architecture and interior design but also some of the most refined artistry exclusively curated by art galleries and experts.
Some of these properties have already been awarded at prestigious Design Award competitions for their excellence and others have been shortlisted.
4 of the Most Striking contemporary design-driven luxury Hotels in the Maldives
These 4 outstanding contemporary design-driven luxury resorts in the Maldives are well worth a visit for all design and art lovers.
- Cheval Blanc Randheli
- The St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort
- The Ritz-Carlton Maldives
- Patina Maldives
Tropical modernism has never been so beautiful as in the Maldives.
Cheval Blanc Randheli
in picture : 1947 restaurant
© Cheval Blanc
Cheval Blanc Randheli
Design and Architecture / Jean Michel Gatty – DENNISTON
Cheval Blanc Randheli is an exceptional property and a masterful architectural achievement crafted in a sleek tropical chic style combined with a loft spirit.
The Haute-Couture hotel boasts spectacular living spaces adorned with a collection of works of art, emblematic of The Maison.
Randheli has 5 distinct islands, including a private one with its own Master beach residence and a Spa island orchestrated by Guerlain, 46 loft villas & residences complemented with the outmost tailored services, a choice of superb travel experiences, a Guerlain wellness spa island as well as a collection of Art Objects and installations that can be found around the islands and in the villas.
Alchemist Lounge Design. © Cheval Blanc
Resort Architecture
Cheval Blanc Randheli is entirely designed by the Belgium architect-designer Jean-Michel Gathy and his agency Denniston. World renown for being a master in luxury hotel architecture, Gathy gave LVMH property one of the most eye-catching allure of the Maldives luxury hotel scene. In and out and at every corner, Cheval Blanc Randheli offers constant amazement with its clean straight lines, games of light and shadows, sophisticated perspectives and a beautiful Art collection that can be found throughout the 5 islands.
Sophisticated perspectives at The Owner’s Villa. © Cheval Blanc
© Cheval Blanc
Corridors with perspectives
Water Villas
© Cheval Blanc
Resort Design
Contemporary yet graceful, Randheli offers a graphic architecture complemented by stylish interior design furnished with materials from the Indian Ocean and natural textures – teak, rattan, bamboo, thatch, stone and coconut shell.
Owner’s Villa dining room. © Cheval Blanc
Bespoke design elements and a residential-style medley of artwork can be contemplated on the 5 islands.
Owner’s Villa Interior. © Cheval Blanc
Teal Slag Glass at White Restaurant. © Cheval Blanc
Teal Slag Glass
Object
Couronne
by Vincent Beaurin
Owner’s Villa Interior. © Cheval Blanc
Cheval Blanc Maison colors ( white, taupe, oyster grey and pop yellow ) are found throughout the resort. This unmistakable vivid color palette also ornate the resort private seaplane and airport lounge.
Cheval Blanc Randheli Private Seaplane Airport Lounge. © Cheval Blanc
Each villa offers a spectacular sense of space, the finest materials, exclusive Art pieces, state-of-the-art refinements, cathedral ceilings and immense doors that reach 7 meters (23-foot).
Garden Water Villa. The living room with its cathedral ceilinsg. © Cheval Blanc
Cheval Blanc Randheli
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New trends in hotel design also include sustainability and respect for the environment through the use of natural materials or materials with minimal impact on the ecosystem
The St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort
/ Best exterior design at Prix Versailles 2017
/ SBID International Design Awards 2017 Winner
/ Awards for Hospitality, Experience And Design Best Event Space WINNER
in picture – The Whale Bar
© The St Regis
The St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort
ARCHITECTUre / WOW Architects
INTERIOR DESIGN / Warner Wong Design
The St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort is one of the Maldives finest address and a design masterpiece boasting multiple iconic architectural venues.
Commissioned to WOW Architects, the St. Regis Maldivian property boasts an architectural design that takes inspiration in nature and marine life like manta ray shaped lagoon villas, a signature bar in the shape of a whale shark, a lobster- inspired spa and a spiral shell shaped library.
Spa Interior. © The St. Regis Vommuli
Resort Architecture
The island architecture is defined by 4 distinct ecological zones : Lagoon, Beach, Coastal and Jungle.
Each zone has unique anchoring activities : the Lagoon zone has a water amphitheater and a signature spa, the Beach zone with two signature restaurants, the Jungle zone has a nature discovery center and a pop-up café, the Coastal zone has a dive center and a signature bar.
Water Villa Deck © The St. Regis Vommuli
Resort Design
Designed with a strong eco awareness theme in mind, the St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort has a contemporary design that effortlessly blends with local craftsmanship.
The resort 77 eco-friendly designer inspired villas and residences offer forms and spaces derived from nature and custom-made elements. The accommodation is divided in the 4 zones of the island with design and interiors that reflect their location.
Garden Villa © The St. Regis Vommuli
Garden Villas and Beach Villas & Suites
Island inspired
Overwater villas and Suites
Architecture inspired by the Manta Rays
Water Villa © The St. Regis Vommuli
Beach villa Interior design © The St. Regis Vommuli
Vommuli has been built and designed with environmental issues in mind without compromising on luxury or sacrificing guests expectations for excellency.
Luxury Interior design. John Jacob Astor Estate. © The St. Regis Vommuli
The inspiration for the interior design stems from the natural pristine beauty and ecology of the atoll and the desire to create eco-awareness to conserve and protect as much as possible the existing island.
Mural Art at Whale Bar © The St. Regis Vommuli
Pyrography Mural Art
Whale Bar
Spiral shell shaped library
Spiral shell shaped library. © The St. Regis Vommuli
The Resort boasts an activity and discovery hub called the Vommuli House where guest can be entertained, make sport, enjoy a wellness moment, have fun and even learn.
With eco awareness in mind, the contemporary eye striking building has branching arms that each contains various activities from a nature library to child friendly playrooms, a culinary school, a yoga studio, a gym, an acupuncture clinic and a large cathedral conference room.
Iridium Spa is probably the most iconic architectural piece of Vommuli. The impressive lobster shaped overwater structure features a superb interior design spanning over 1,850sqm / 19900ft. Iridium Spa won multiple design awards and was voted World’s Best Resort Spa in 2018.
Iridium Spa designed in a lobster shape. © The St. Regis
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The Ritz-Carlton Maldives
/ Architectural Digest – Great Design Awards, Hotels 2021
in picture – The SPA
© The Ritz-Carlton Maldives
The Ritz-Carlton Maldives
Design and ARCHITECTUre / Kerry Hill Architects
ART GALLERY curated by The Artling
Created by the award-winning Kerry Hill Architects, a multi-award-winning Singapore-based agency, The Ritz-Carlton Maldives has an outstanding design inspired by the water and circular movement in the Maldives called Circle Of Life. To conceive the hotel, Kerry Hill took his inspiration from ocean forces, the wind and waves.
The island bridge that connect Fari Islands. © The Ritz-Carlton Maldives
Resort Architecture
Featuring minimalist architecture, The Ritz-Carlton Maldives is inspired by the natural landscape of the turquoise lagoon and the swirling ocean breezes. The hotel embraces the Circle of Life concept, with a modern and minimalist architecture, visually light weighted interior and exterior design to maximize the views to the horizon and the connection with the elements.
The Beru inspired spa by night © The Ritz-Carlton Maldives
Resort Design
The Ritz-Carlton Maldives blends thoughtful design and architecture rooted in the shape of a circle that also represents the flow of island life. This circle, which is also inspired by the Beru, the Maldivian drum, has widely inspired Kerry Hill to design a round shaped architecture which can be seen throughout the resort like the water villas, the kids playground and the spa.
Circle shaped Water Pool Villa © The Ritz-Carlton Maldives
Culinary Island and its circle shaped pool © The Ritz-Carlton Maldives
The Circle Of Life embodied in the resort architecture
Circle shaped Kids Club © The Ritz-Carlton Maldives
Circular beach villas © The Ritz-Carlton Maldives
The circular villas sit comfortably in the bright Maldives sunlight, shadows are soft and breezes flow freely between buildings.
Water Villa interior and open views. © The Ritz-Carlton Maldives
To complete this Circle of Life, The Ritz-Carlton Maldives boasts a curated contemporary artwork collection that reflects the resort serene surroundings and its architecture. The art pieces can be seen in all 100 villas of the resort, along with outdoor sculptures and accessories installed at various bars, restaurants and around the island.
Painted mural by a Maldivian artist. Resort kids club © The Ritz-Carlton Maldives
Wooven basket
Ayeratukko
Woven Elephant Grass Basket by Ghanean Master Weavers
Flow by Cheng Tsung Feng
Bamboo Art Installation
Bamboo Art Installation
Fine Art Knot Installation at the Spa © The Ritz-Carlton Maldives
One of the most striking aspect of The Ritz-Carlton Maldives is the use of sleek geometric lines, and large open views on to the ocean.
Sleek geometric lines applied to the water villas. Two-Bedroom Water Pool Villa © The Ritz-Carlton Maldives
Interior villa design also continues the simple approach to detailing with a limited palette of natural materials and color hues. Furniture, rugs and fabrics have been custom designed by Kerry Hill Architects, drawing influence from local craft traditions in collaboration with Maldivian and international artists.
Water Pool Villa interior design © The Ritz-Carlton Maldives
Each villa’s design also allows for total privacy, cocooned by the clean sweeping curves and lines of the architecture, with the water, landscape and breeze flowing around and between the spaces.
Water Pool Villa in and out © The Ritz-Carlton Maldives
Beach Pool Villa © The Ritz-Carlton Maldives
Water, landscape and breeze flow around and between the spaces
Water Pool Villa © The Ritz-Carlton Maldives
Where possible, natural breezes has been harnessed to cool the public spaces, and highly sophisticated glazing has been used elsewhere to limit the use of air-conditioning.
Beach Pool Villa Bathroom. © The Ritz-Carlton Maldives
EAU BAR open space. © The Ritz-Carlton Maldives
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Design trends for the 2020s indicate that hotel architects are focusing on spaces that illuminate the natural beauty and energy of the space while incorporating smart technology and environmentally friendly elements.
Patina Maldives
in picture – The SPA
© Patina Maldives
Patina Maldives
Design and ARCHITECTUre / Studio MK27
ART GALLERY curated by The Artling
Patina Maldives design and architecture are inspired by the beauty and elements of the island landscapes. Created by Marcio Kogan and his team at Studio MK27, the hotel remains faithful to the designer vision by blending tropical modernist influences, biophilic design and minimalism. From bed frames with integrated control panels, selected pieces from the world’s leading furniture designers, seamless low buildings and the use of natural resources, Patina Maldives creates a perfect sense of harmony between modern architecture and the natural world.
Two-Bedroom Water Pool Villa © Patina Maldives
Resort Architecture
Patina Maldives has delicate architectural lines that remain respectfully low, never breaching the horizon, in deference to the encompassing blues above and below. Each space is carefully designed to encourage connections with nature, allowing the tropical surroundings to take center stage.
Water Villa low architecture © Patina Maldives
Patina Maldives is mostly built in wood and other natural materials put together by expert craftsmen of the region.
Bathroom Interior design. © Patina Maldives
The hotel stands right at the boundaries of modern architecture and modest luxury lifestyle. At Patina Maldives, architecture seems much less important than nature with all public spaces and villas carefully crafted to be seamless, open, light and inviting.
Studio Interior © Patina Maldives
Resort Design
Patina Maldives has a airy and seamless design in all the buildings on the island. Studio MK27 played with each space and textures to create fluid transitions between the open and closed areas. Interiors features muted colors, subtle textures, matte finishes and noble materials to represent the dialogue with the Maldives nature.
Two-Bedroom Beach Pool Villa. © Patina Maldives
The villas, studios and public spaces are bathing in a earthy color palette, with the exclusive use of wood, linen, rattan, paper cord, stone and natural fibers that extend out from the interiors, blurring boundaries, drawing the outside world in whilst enticing guests out.
Two-Bedroom Water Pool Villa. © Patina Maldives
Uniquely for the Maldives, floor to-ceiling sliding window systems called Panoramah! allow the villas to be opened to the elements on all three sides, while custom-made blackout blinds offer cocoon-like coziness at the touch of a button.
One-Bedroom Sunset Water Pool Villa. © Patina Maldives
The villas are furnished with millwork furnishings, which were custom-designed by Studio MK27. Other items are sourced from leading designers like Bassam Fellows, LinBrasil, Gervasoni, Vitra, Dedon, Carlos Motta and Paola Lenti.
Two-Bedroom Water Pool Villa interior. © Patina Maldives
The hotel boasts a holistic collection of artwork, consisting of bespoke commissioned artworks and unique design pieces by international artists spread around the island and in the 110 Villas and Studios offered by the resort.
Synthesis Monoliths. Permanent outdoor Art Exhibition
Stainless steel monoliths with mirrored finish by Hongjie Yang
Synthesis Monoliths © Patina Maldives
Home Deep Blue © Patina Maldives
Home Deep Blue
Cotton Linen by Hiroko Takeda
Palms
Framed Photography Prints on Wood by Cássio Vasconcellos
Palms © Patina Maldives
Library Interior Design & Objects
Library Interior Design & Objects.
Detail © Patina Maldives
One of Patina Maldives most striking architectural building is the post-minimalist Turrell Skyspace, a specifically proportioned chamber, with warm browns and relaxing oranges that dance along the tall lengths of the walls, radiating rustic and homely energy.
The Turrell Skyspace outdoor architecture © Patina Maldives
The Turrell Skyspace’s main highlight is an aperture in the ceiling opening onto the Maldivian blue skies and the stars at night. This serene-yet-whimsical style space aims to offer a quiet and contemplative space for guests.
Skyspace has been designed by James Turrell, a Californian artist whose main media of expression are light and space.
The Skyspace at day
The Skyspace at day © Patina Maldives
The Skyspace at night
The Skyspace at night © Patina Maldives
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Your TOP Best Maldives Resorts 2022YOUR CHOICE. YOUR DREAM. YOUR VOICE
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Traveler’s Choice
11th Edition
