International Architects Diseño Earle have just finished preliminary designs for a large 5 star hotel and country club resort set in the Ukraine.

Scale was the main challenge in developing an abandoned palace in the Ukraine into a world class hotel. At little more than 2500 square meters, the existing structure simply wasn’t capable of providing the amenities required for a viable development. To this end, Diseño Earle decided to enlarge the palace with a series of additions that would provide needed program space while celebrating the existing character of the original property.

The new buildings are organized about a new oval “moat”. Concealing casino, parking and other service spaces, the sheet of water extends from the castle, framing it as a special jewel. At the front of the pool, the architects developed a new entry pavilion with generous lobby facilities and a dramatic entry experience. From this lobby, visitors descend a glass-cover ramp to slip beneath the waters of the moat into the castle itself. Behind the castle, the architects provided an extension with additional guest rooms and an enclosed atrium. Clad in frosted green glass, the diamond-shaped building appears as an angular shard of crystal that while thoroughly contemporary manages to complement the historical stone palace as well. Additional retail and residential developments encircle the pool like a necklace, framing and focusing attention on the original palace, floating upon its reflection at the center of the moat.