12-14,
Ecork Hotel
Ecork is a hotel in Évora that is equipped with a spa, health club, gym, restaurant, bar, conference rooms, outdoor pool and 56 bungalows.
Set amongst groves of cork-oak and olive trees, the hotel’s overall plan is inspired by the medieval villages of the Alentejo region, where it was common to find the main urban settlement (the castle) surrounded by a number of white buildings.
All of the hotel’s services and facilities are incorporated into a single building, freeing the remaining land up for the the guest bungalows.
Inspired by the local vernacular and Arab architectural styles (a strong presence in southern Portugal), we created a monolithic volume with small openings to the exterior, which, together with the fully recyclable cork covering, ensures the thermal protection of the building.
Built around a large courtyard, the hotel’s layout was designed so as to take advantage of cross winds and air circulation, thus keeping energy consumption to a minimum. With a view to occupying as little surface area as possible, and providing views of the surrounding Alentejan landscape, the swimming pool and bar are located on the roof of the building. All 56 bungalows are suites. Their positioning, spread out amongst the olive trees, is determined by a system of internal pathways. The paths thus read as a series of abstract volumes and whitewashed surfaces.
