Hôtel Alba Bay

Project Overview

Alba Bay is a 120-key seaside resort in the south of France, currently in design development. Our scope covered pre-construction visualization of the main lobby, lounge pods, and west-facing terrace bar — a fully rendered walkthrough used by the investor group to sign final approvals.

Design Approach

The brief called for a lobby that reads as architecture first and furniture second. We responded with a sculptural wood-slat canopy that fans outward from the central columns like palm fronds — cast-in-place concrete underneath, solid oak on the visible faces. The garden-facing wall is full-height glass so the sea and pines are part of the room.

Key Moves

• Ceiling as landscape — 580 individual oak slats, CNC-milled from a single geometry, forming a continuous canopy that tells guests "slow down" the moment they arrive.
• Lounge pods — circular seating platforms in travertine, clustered loosely around the bar so groups form and reform without rearranging furniture.
• Back-bar in brass and oak — warm metal and light wood, no dramatic stone — the goal is evening warmth, not daytime gloss.
• Garden edge — the glass wall slides fully open in summer, turning the lobby into a shaded outdoor room.

Deliverables

Photo-real renderings at twilight and morning light, an animated walkthrough, and a 1:50 materials board presented to the operator for final sign-off before construction drawings.