Art Hotels

Rainforest surrounds the villas on every side, and the volcano stands behind it. The ground falls away in short slopes, so the canopy sits at eye level from some decks. Paths run between the trees rather than across cleared lawn. Growth here is dense and close through the whole year.

Each villa opens onto a deck that faces the trees and nothing else. Glass runs along the outward wall, so the green fills the room without any effort. Warm spring water is fed into private plunge pools. Timber and cane finishes keep the interior close in tone to the forest.

Walls and planting hold back the sound of the road and of other guests, so each deck stays separate. Deep roof overhangs keep heavy rain off the open sides, and screens hold insects out of the sleeping space.

Bush runs from the lodge to the horizon, broken only by the Sweni River below the bank. The vegetation is low and open, so the eye travels a long way. Riverine trees mark the water line and stay greener than the ground behind them. There are no fences and no other buildings in view.

The suites stand on raised decks along the bank, so the river is the view from bed and bath alike. Full-height glass takes up the outward wall of each room. Dark timber, hide and woven fibre repeat the colours of the bank. Walkways link the rooms without touching the ground.

Raising the structure keeps the lodge clear of the wet ground and of what moves along the bank. Screens and shutters keep out insects and low sun, and the roof shelters the walkway when rain crosses the valley.

Fields, low ridges and village land begin where the property ends, and the ocean takes the other side. The coast is exposed, with a long break offshore and few structures along it. Grass and scrub cover the slopes between the houses. Cultivated land, not forest, is what the island shows here.

The houses are built from local hardwood and thatch, so the material comes from the same island as the view. Rooms open on the seaward side with no glazing to close them. Ceilings are high and pitched, which moves air through the room. Steps and terraces follow the slope down toward the water.

Deep thatch and wide eaves hold off sun and driving rain while the sides stay open. The buildings sit back from the exposed edge, which keeps the strongest wind and the salt spray away from the sleeping rooms.

Lemon terraces climb the slope around the house, held up by old retaining walls. Positano itself is stacked on the same hillside, so neighbouring roofs sit just below the windows. Stepped lanes take the place of streets. The bay closes the view at the bottom of the slope.

Every principal room faces the water, because the house was built across the slope rather than along it. Tall shuttered openings bring the terraces and the town into the room. Local tile covers the floors. Planted balconies continue the terrace line so the garden reads as part of the building.

Thick masonry and shutters keep the afternoon sun and the heat of the stone outside. The house turns its back on the lane above, so the noise of the town stays behind the building rather than in the rooms.

Pines and low Mediterranean scrub cover the rock the hotel stands on, and the sea is directly below. The ground is dry, stony and planted rather than wild. Porto Ercole sits along the coast, out of sight from most of the property. Paths drop through the trees toward the rocks.

The buildings are kept low and spread among the pines, so the trees stay taller than the roofs. Rooms open to terraces shaded by the same canopy. Stone and tile carry the colour of the rock indoors. A cut path and lift take guests down to the water rather than a beach.

The pine canopy holds off the hardest sun and keeps the terraces usable in the middle of the day. Low walls and planting take the edge off the sea wind, and the buildings sit back from the exposed rock face.

City is what stands outside this door: a built-up block of Colonia Lafayette, with pavements, shopfronts and traffic. Street trees line the road, and a park lies a short walk away. The nearest green is planted and public rather than wild. Neighbouring buildings sit tight against the plot.

The street comes in through tall windows on the original deco floors, so the city is the view. A rooftop terrace and pool lift guests above the block and open the sky. Interior courtyards bring daylight into the middle of the plan. Planting is kept to terraces and the roof.

Heavy glazing and the depth of the old walls hold traffic noise at the pavement. The building turns its rooms inward around courtyards, which keeps street dust and the direct afternoon sun off the living spaces.