Aria Hotel is located on a gently contoured rising 9M towards the South with the entry at the lowest level in the North. The property is situated in the wine-growing region of India. The structure on the North faces a large river and a dam with hills beyond; while the Southern side rises into hills near the site. The client’s requirements included a large banquet hall of 15,000 sq ft in addition to 60 rooms and other facilities.

Since the banquet hall would have large gatherings its access is planned directly from the road frontage at the lowest level of the site. The public facilities including the hotel lobby, restaurant, bar, spa and business centre occupy a higher level 6 meters above the banquet hall entered directly from an
ascending approach road.

The rooms at the higher level are oriented to face the river or hills in the South with open circulation spaces and naturally ventilated and sky-lit courtyards. Each level of the hotel is integrated with the natural contours of the site, minimizing land cutting and landfill. No soil was taken out of the site or brought into the site while constructing, making the construction both economical and sustainable. Over 50 percent of the walls are built with natural black basalt stone available near the site.

All the circulation spaces are naturally lit and ventilated rendering the building energy-efficient. Solar panels on the rooftop, over the banquet kitchen, and in parking areas generate 50 per cent of the electrical energy required for the hotel. Rainwater harvesting tanks, with water recycling and reuse further add to the sustainable methods adopted for the design of this hotel.

Aria Hotel is designed contextually, responding to the site contours, the views of the surroundings, the climate, and the materials creating a web of experiences within its different volumes. This hotel is contextual to the site’s location, climate, and the client’s brief, amalgamating them cohesively.