At the Elqui Domos, astronomy is part of the hotel‘s philosophy. The dreamy retreat is located in the heart of Valle del Elqui, a narrow valley stretched in between the Andes Mountains – and was built purposefully for one thing: uninterrupted stargazing.
The valley is renowned for its sharp, clear skies and pleasant weather, as well as for its great potential for wine growing, astronomy, and tourism.
The luxury Chilean hotel comprises several single wooden-structured cabins that provide translucent fabric domes, enabling an experience that encourages a close connection with nature as well as unique night-sky viewing –through the cabins’ roof hatches–while lying beneath the stars. The hotel blends seamlessly with nature and you can choose to stay in a Dome room, or in one of four observatory rooms.
According to the architects: “Our rooms are seven geodesic domes that on the inside are furnished in a two-storey plan: on the first floor a living room and the bathroom, and in the second-storey the main bed and a detachable roof over it.
“Each dome has an ample terrace. Other services, such as fridge bar, free tea are also part of what we offer. Barbeques and cutlery are available for you.
“Services are focused on sky wealth, so they are composed of: specialized astronomic tours, nighttime horse rides. Bike rental, daytime horse rides, car rental are available among other services. Please, let us know what you need, so we can set it up.
“The project’s commission included remodeling the existing seven domes, the restaurant-lobby and the addition of several newcabins, in order to maximize the site’s potential. Our main challenge was to carry out an intervention that would improve the domes’ living condition while highlighting the elements that make this hotel so unique.
“To refashion the existing rooms, we emphasized the role of the terrace as main living area, and highlighted a specific sense of lightness –usually found in textile architecture– by placing the cabins’ volumes barely sitting on the land, reminiscent of foreign artifacts used for sleeping, dominating the landscape, or staring at the stars.”
Images courtesy of James Florio Photography
