Antonio Iraci architect share with us his splendid design for this lovely hotel named ZASH located at Sicily. For more images along with architects description continue after the jump:
From the Architect:
In eastern Sicily, amidst rambling citrus groves, sublime views over Mount Etna and exquisite wines, you’ll find Zash: a country hideaway, a former winery, and a Mediterranean garden all rolled into one. Spend the night here and you’ll not just be close to Sicily’s best scenery, you’ll be part of it. All of the rooms find a unique way to immerse you in nature, with expansive views that overlook the evocative Sicilian landscape. For a tantalizing taste of Sicily, retire to the hotel’s lounge located at the entrance of the old winery – the perfect stop for an aperitif or an earthy local wine. Just outside the doors, specially designed trails let you get even closer to the sounds and smells of Sicily. So hike, walk or cycle, and let the countryside take care of the rest.
Location
The presence of Mount Etna and the transparency of the sea are the two strong contrasts that join together all the micro territories of this splendid side of Sicily. Here the land changes inch by inch, as the local people would say, the nude “sciara” (what remains of the lava after it’s turned cold) coexists with the cultivations of Arab citruses and Greek olive trees. The ancient myths and the various dominations of the Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Normans and Spanish define a territory that is surprisingly rich. There’s something for everyone: powdery ski hills, local wines, the natural microcosms of the Nebrodi mountain range, the deep incisions in volcanic rocks and cliffs at Alcantara Gorges, Catania, one of the major Sicilian cities, and the lovely little town of Taormina, where folk traditions come to life.
Letting yourself be wrapped up by nature, by primordial and deep sounds, by dense and elusive scents, means to walk away from your daily routine and to dive into a dimension of positive energy.
Zash is the deep nature of a sound, its verbal repossession, the sound of the air within the leaves, the burst of a gesture in its flowing movements, it's one of the infinite sounds that can only be heard and enjoyed by living in the countryside. But most of all, it's to rediscover the time to live another dimension, made of slow gestures, intense scents, new visions and mysterious voices.
zash, splash, cucù, crag, ciuf, druum, pluff…
We'll tell you about us by starting with the very first thing: nature's instinctive and remote sounds.
This is the world of Zash: a COUNTRY BOUTIQUE HOTEL where historical fragments meet a contemporary taste, in an “elegantly quiet” project, to let nature's physicality emerge, to respect our past vestige and to satisfy our traveller's needs.
A place which is refined in its rooms, rural in its context and vital for the soul.
Food & drink around an ancient barrel where wine was once fermented lies the small and suggestive restaurant. In this old winery cuisine can only be simple, as it draws from the ingenuity of local products and gives back an undoubtedly Sicilian essence. The surrounding citrus grove is rich in fruits and juices, which are freshly squeezed and added for a dimension of tastes. At the hotel’s lounge, local wine with earthy flavors is served beneath a magnificent vaulted ceiling made of limestone and pumice – a product of the still-active volcano.
Project: ZASH Country Boutique Hotel
Designed by Antonio Iraci
Design and Construction Management: Architect Antonio Hyrax and Carla Maugeri
Employees: Concept Pidatella, Mario Renda, Serena Vivirito, Salvatore Terranova
Facilities: Studio Archline
Built-up area: 510 sqm
General contractor: Sciacca
Plant: ESSETICI Ltd.
Realization garden: Plants Lighthouse
Frames: Schuco Sicilcima
Photography: Alfio Garozzo
Suppliers: custom furniture made ??from B2 Contract Architecture and Design, Raffaele Carotenuto & C.SAS;
Lighting: Flos, Viabizzuno, Davide Groppi, Cini &Nils;
Furniture: Glass, Kartell, Living sofas, permaflex;
Bathroom furniture: Newform taps, Plasters, Theorem, shower trays and sanitary makro Flo Kerasan
Location: Sicily, Italy
Website: www.antonioiraci.it
