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Cosmic Theater Cosmic Theater Cosmic Theater Cosmic Theater Cosmic Theater Cosmic Theater

Orchestra of Nature

"Hearing sound is obviously different from listening to music. When various sounds are composed and the state of the audience is set, the circumstance transforms into a performance. As architects, we seek to find the profile angle of approaching nature: to create architecture as the instrument, to invite nature to be the musician, and to define the entire place as the cosmic theatre. By witnessing nature's performance, the body is healed and the soul is purged. This is obviously different from merely observing pure nature.

Physically, the site has a unique topographical anatomy. We place the public facilities along the ridge, cascading and shuffled down the contour. As the ridge line is located almost in the center of the site, it enhances ease of access for guests from the accommodation area. Guests will walk down through the gap between buildings, facing eastward and northward to the ocean, experiencing a momentous journey through different scenes.

As a composer, the whispering sound from the site cannot be disregarded. We need to understand the orientation and topography in order to create memorable shows.

Act 1: The Welcome Light 
At the highest point of the land, one can experience the morning light from the east and the evening light from the west without obstruction. The entrance is designed to offer guests a personalized experience throughout different times of the day. When the sun starts to illuminate the hall, which is located in a perfect east-west alignment on the highest part of the ridge, the light creates a different atmosphere throughout the day.

Act 2: The Dancing Wind 
Being on a beachfront hill, an immense amount of wind is expected. The lobby pavilion is located to visualize the wind. With its lightness, the ceiling element generates the tangible flow of wind that blows through the void of the pavilion roof.

Act 3: The Healing Water 
The swale is concrete evidence revealing the trace of water running through the site. The stone weirs are piled up to create a waterfall effect in the rainy season and allow local vegetation to grow during the dry season. The wellness spa will witness this natural, perpetual change.

Act 4: The Fiery Rock 
Down by the sea, the rockscape along the coastline becomes the signature dining scene, the very essence of the site's geological identity. The edge, angle, calmness, and strength of these elements are highlighted by the movement of the flame.

Act 5: The Permeating Ground 
The villa challenges the typical resort living experience. It introduces guests to an ambiguous sense of interior and exterior, bringing back the true sense of tropical living space. The rooms are set apart at different angles to fit with the varying landform, increasing the flexibility of building allocation based on the site's conditions.

Each act is performed by the same performer and the same instrument, yet the performance continuously changes depending on the cosmic moment and the individual perception."

Location

Koh Samui, Suratthani, Thailand

Site Area

57,600 Sq.m.

Gross Floor Area

30,000 Sq.m.

Outdoor Area

60,000 Sq.m.

Design Date

2019

Architect

IF (Integrated Field)

Interior Designer

IF (Integrated Field)

Landscape Architect

SHMA
NORTHFOREST STUDIO