In this talk, David González and Lia Sainz of Arquitectura DAAR will explain how they developed two five-star hotels on the Costa del Sol from two very different perspectives: a new-build project and a complete refurbishment. Located exactly two kilometres apart within the same development, the two properties nevertheless called for two distinct concepts.
David and Lia will present both projects side by side. On the one hand, the new-build development of a hotel for international luxury brand Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, comprising a 150-room main building, 47 villas and a spa, connected to the golf course and with direct access to the beach.
On the other, the complete refurbishment of 21 existing buildings to create OKU Andalusia. The project involved demolishing two of the buildings to open up views towards the sea and creating a new central pool area, alongside the comprehensive renovation of the guestrooms, restaurants, spa, gym, children’s area and a beach club located right on the beachfront.
The talk will trace the development of both projects in parallel, offering an insight into two different approaches to hotel complexes of a similar scale, each with more than 270 rooms, and exploring how new-build and refurbishment projects call for different strategies when approaching hospitality design.
