Danish maritime architecture studio MAST has revealed plans to build a hotel formed of houses on stilts in a Portuguese lagoon formerly used for salt production.
Located on the Sado Estuary near Setúbal, the overgrown salina will be transformed into an eco-conscious tourist destination that takes cues from the traditional fisherman's huts and jetties common to lagoons and rivers in the south of Portugal.
▲ 高跷房屋将建在佐渡河口的一个废弃盐沼上
The stilt houses will be built on an abandoned salina on the Sado Estuary
Construction is expected to begin imminently, with the first houses scheduled to open to guests in late 2025.The project also involves turning a large section of the 50-hectare site into a nature reserve.Marshall Blecher, architect and co-founder of MAST, said the ambition is to promote sustainable tourism."The project adds much-needed accommodation to the area while having the lightest possible touch on the unique landscape," he said.
▲ 这些房屋将作为酒店的套房
The houses will serve as guest suites for a hotel
MAST's masterplan proposes more than 50 stilted houses on the water. These are to be prefabricated off-site using Portuguese cross-laminated timber (CLT).According to Blecher, this will reduce the impact on the "delicate landscape".
The lagoon is filled with halophytic plants such as saltbush and an abundance of brine shrimp that attracts flocks of flamingos and oystercatchers.
"The landscape is extremely unique and naturally beautiful," said the architect. "We saw an opportunity to create a new typology of accommodation for the area without significantly impacting the site."
▲ 这些结构将使用CLT在场外建造
The structures will be built off-site using CLT
These houses will be accessible via a network of elevated bridges that link up with local nature trails, or directly via boat or kayak.Elsewhere on the site, an old building previously used for salt production will be overhauled to create a restaurant and spa, while a birdwatching tower will offer views across the wetlands and seafront.
▲ 这些房屋可以通过高架桥或船只进入
The houses will be accessible by elevated bridges or via boat or kayak
The real-estate developer – who wishes to remain anonymous at this stage – also plans to bring small-scale salt production back to the site.A cluster of new buildings based on traditional salt storage warehouses will provide facilities for producing "small batches of artisanal salt" in a process that involves channelling and evaporating saltwater.
▲ 一栋以前用于制盐的旧建筑将改造为餐厅和水疗中心
An old building previously used for salt production will become a restaurant and spa
Blecher, who also runs the architecture office Studio Marshall Blecher, co-founded MAST in partnership with maritime designer Magnus Maarbjerg.The studio specialises in designing buildings for water. In 2022 it unveiled a flat-pack concept for floating homes, while last year it released plans for a floating park in an abandoned Italian sand quarry.
▲ 一组新建筑将促进“小批量手工盐”的生产
A cluster of new buildings will facilitate production of "small batches of artisanal salt"
MAST was approached to explore options for the Sado Estuary site in early 2023.
The initial brief called for floating buildings, but Blecher and Maarbjerg instead proposed stilted buildings as they were considered more appropriate for the sensitive location."Floating buildings were not suitable in the shallow waters without dredging," Blecher explained.