Coral brief
by Tony Smyth, 29 June 2010
A feast of local materials were an abundant resource for the designers of the first five-star international resort on Boracay Island, Shangri-La’s Boracay Resort and Spa in the Philippines. The 219-room resort featuring 36 villas and suites is built on land made up primarily of ancient corals. Located in the northern part of Boracay Island, the resort’s secluded setting includes 350 metres of pristine beachfront and 12 hectares of grounds that are home to a number of interesting and rare wildlife species. The resort is situated within a peaceful nature reserve with 75 species of plants on the ravines, cliffs and seashore.
The resort was designed by Hawaii-based architect firm, WATG, and the interior by Singapore-based LTW Design Works. The spacious guestrooms and villas are all finely furnished and finished with ethnic Filipino decor and native materials.
Every guestroom offers a spacious floor plan and ocean views from a private balcony or terrace all orientated towards the sunset and beach front. Tree houses have outdoor Jacuzzis and all other villas have private pools. Villas also include a day bed for relaxation or massage.
WATG used the local coral stone extensively on the exterior architecture and LTW applied this to the interiors bringing the outdoor elements inside on the interior columns. The interior was designed incorporating the open pavilions and pitched roof forms, hence integrating interiors with the architectural form and the view into the gardens and the ocean.
Many stylistic flavours and trades were injected into the design, according HL Lim, principal of LTW. “The culture of the Philippines is very rich and diversified, with Spanish and Maranao traditions to name a few,” he adds.
Lim’s brief was to create understated elegance, and contemporary spaces with a relaxed appeal whilst at the same time culturally intriguing.
The Philippines is not just culturally diverse, it is also host to virtually all of the elements that Nature can throw at her. This created both design and building challenges that required some rethinking.
“We had to redesign some areas and adopt protective measures against the harsh weather conditions that the island experiences, for example typhoons,” says Lim. “The nature of the terrain was also challenging to set up the infrastructure of the resort.”
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