DESIGN
The island has the largest lagoon in the Maldives .
visit more than three years earlier : A previous attempt to build a resort had left some construction in place for about seven years , including pilings that were kept to support the current overwater villas . But flora and fauna , in the form of tiny sand crabs , had overtaken the place ( the patterns she saw on the sand , left by the crabs , inspired the wall textures ).
She knew from the start that the resort should aim more for barefoot luxury than the formality of other Maldives resorts . “ We knew that we wanted it to have a little bit of a twist ,” she says . “ We didn ’ t want it to be that picturesque infinity pool , palm tree — you know , very simplistic . We wanted a bit of personality in there .” AccorHotels ’ Fairmont brand came in as operator after development .
The Coralarium before human figures were removed : The hotel is repurposing the structure into another concept .
CORAL CONTROVERSY The northerly island has the largest lagoon in the Maldives ; its reef stretches for 9 kilometers . It ’ s that reef , and an artwork commissioned by owner SC Capital of Singapore , that got the property some unexpected press . The Coralarium , by artist Jason deCaires Taylor , sits in the resort ’ s lagoon and featured human figures standing on and around a semi-submerged , marine-grade steel framework intended to encourage coral growth . But the country ’ s
44 hotelsmag . com January / February 2019