RAK JEBEL AL JAIS MOUNTAIN RESORT, UAE, RAS AL KHAIMAH, 2006

Masterplan for a resort in the mountains of Ras Al Khaimah

Once the idea of the resort was to provide a momentary escape from everyday hardships; an earthly preview of paradise for temporary consumption...but now in the UAE, where the resort has become the ubiquitous condition, everywhere and ever present, it is the resort itself that is beginning to inspire escape.

The mountain resort of Ras Al Kaimah present a spectacular natural setting. To enter the rugged landscape of these mountains still feels like breaking new ground.

Rather than domesticating these baren slopes into the standard environment of the traditional resort, this project aims to create a resort that exploits their true natural conditions.

The resort proposes a path that deliberately navigates the mountain to connect the most dramatic points, capturing a diverse range of conditions. Development clings to the path allowing the majority of the site to remain untouched, preserving the natural integrity of the mountain.