Small island with great potential

Velaa Private Island is part of one of the nineteen coral atolls of the Maldives archipelago. On this uninhabited island, a Czech investor, with the assistance of architects Petr Kolář and Aleš Lapka from the architectural studio ADR, who invited several renowned studios such as Mimolimit, Patricia Urquiola, and Labor13 to collaborate on the interiors, has built a luxury hotel resort where visitors can enjoy a literal paradise on earth without interruption. They can reach the island by seaplane from the capital of the Maldives – Male.

Originally, there was only one house on the island. This has been preserved for its local character and today bears the name Coral house. During construction, it was supplemented by seventeen water villas and twenty-five beachfront villas with one or two bedrooms, a living area, and a private outdoor pool, along with five residential villas and a special villa called Romantic. This is designed to provide uninterrupted privacy. For this reason, it is only accessible by boat. To ensure maximum comfort for guests, several buildings with restaurants, a bar, and a spa are also included. The island's landmark is the Tavaru observation tower with a wine cellar and Japanese restaurant. It stands out among the other buildings, which are mostly single-story and refer to local traditional architecture, due to its atypical appearance and height. It is a white tower twenty-three meters tall, for which architect Petr Kolář found inspiration in a butterfly's cocoon.

Throughout the hotel complex, the authors aimed for maximum connection between the interior and exterior. To achieve this, they utilized numerous refined views. "As for the materials used, the investor wished to use as many natural ones as possible, which can withstand the local demanding climatic conditions," says designer Barbora Škorpilová from the MIMOLIMIT studio, who participated in the interior designs. The buildings are constructed from traditional masonry, wooden beams, and palm roofs typical for this region. The interiors of both private and public spaces are richly equipped with wooden elements and decorations. Wood also decorates the door hardware, supplied by the Czech manufacturer. "For the buildings intended for guests and some of the facilities, we chose MIMOLIMIT handles and grips, which I previously designed for the Czech manufacturer M&T. They combine practical metal with elegant wooden filling," says designer Barbora Škorpilová, and Roman Ulich, the chief designer of M&T, adds: "The MIMOLIMIT handle is unique in its construction, where a handle made of wood is embedded into the base material, in this case, solid brass. Not only can you choose the surface finish of the metal part, but there is also a selection of several types of wood. For this realization, handles with a very durable titanium surface in black were chosen. The filling used is the exotic wood teak, which easily withstands the Maldivian climate, as it is not affected by moisture or contact with water."

The investor actively participated in the entire design and realization process of the hotel complex and is currently involved in its redesign. "On the occasion of the tenth anniversary of its opening, the investor wished to innovate the design of the entire resort. For the new interior design concept, we were inspired by the seemingly invisible underwater world, which is full of vibrant colors – and those are what we will project into the spaces of the entire complex," says Barbora Škorpilová and adds: "Signature elements such as the flying fish in the Aragu restaurant will, of course, be preserved. The design in these spaces will be enlivened only by changing textiles and decorations." Part of the current renovation also includes the construction of a new Ayurvedic spa and restaurant.

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