Red Sol Resort: Communal Geometries
Designed for the Albanian Riviera begins with a direct response to its dramatic terrain—jagged rock formations, steep mountain slopes, and dense undergrowth rooted in pine and cypress. At Red Sol Resort, Bofill Taller de Arquitectura applies a rational approach to this wild topography, overlaying a delicate grid, or “reticulum,” onto the land. This geometric framework serves as both a compositional tool and an organizational strategy for the site.
Each villa follows a modular system, composed of identical squares in plan. Pockets of untouched natural landscape are intentionally left between units, forming shared spaces for communal use. In section, the villas rise and shift along the terrain, extruding the grid upward to carve out interior spaces and open toward sea views. Their vertical arrangement echoes the mountainous rhythm of the site, while the use of locally resonant materials grounds the buildings in their context. At the lower level, units are inward-looking and private, each surrounding its own courtyard. In contrast, upper façades open generously to the environment, culminating in rooftop terraces complete with private pools.
The project draws inspiration from the housing complexes of the Taller de Arquitectura in the 1960s and 70s—most notably La Muralla Roja—themselves influenced by the historic typology of the kasbah: fortified settlements strategically located near coastlines, designed both for protection and community life. These labyrinthine structures fostered strong social bonds through shared spaces and collective infrastructure—markets, terraces, and courtyards interwoven within a dense architectural fabric.
This ethos of spatial interconnection and communal living is reinterpreted at Red Sol Resort. The villas are linked through a web of outdoor staircases, bridges, and walkways that produce a castellated silhouette across the hillside. These elevated routes traverse circular pools, shared patios, and scenic lookouts. A grand central staircase descends the site axis toward the sea, culminating in a portal that frames the horizon—an architectural gesture that transforms the landscape into a dramatic procession.
Photos by Mir.
