Location

natai Beach, Phuket, thaiLand

ProPerty

iniaLa resort

oPened

decemBer 2013owner

markweingart

contriButing architects

graham LamB & a-cero interiors designers

graham LamB (thaiLand)a-cero (sPain)Ph.d (russia)eggarat wongcharit (thaiLand)Fernando & humBerto camPana (BraziL) JosePh waLsh(ireLand)Jaime hayon (sPain)mark Brazier-Jones (new zeaLand)chris Jones (usa)PhotograPhs

courtesy oF kurt heck & matt thorPe

INIALA not Just a retreat to reLax in By the Beach

its aLso an astonishing temPLe oF gLoBaL design

hat happens when luxury and design freedom is allowed full expression?, you get the outlandish Iniala beach house. Back in 2013 British entrepreneur, Mark

Weingard opened to the world Iniala, a 10-suite private residence spread across three distinctive villas, avail-able to rent entirely, or by individual villa or Penthouse Suite, situated on Natai Beach 20 minutes north of Phuket Airport.

With its incredible uninterrupted views of the beach and the Andaman Sea, Iniala is comprised of three villas, each with three suites and their own spa, plus one spec-tacular and expansive penthouse suite. Iniala has been conceived to be a residential masterpiece of design, fusing traditional Thai architecture with organic, contem-porary forms created by designers from Spain, Ireland, Britain, Brazil, Russia, the USA and Thailand.

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Born out of a traditional beach house built in the last century British designer Graham Lamb, using the Thai healing hands as his inspiration, created several contemporary villas, around the original structure with sumptuous carved roofs clad in teak to reflect Thai traditions. In the Collectors Villa Mark gave Ireland’s Joseph Walsh, a master craftsman the biggest bed-room in any of the Villas to showcase his work and full rein to explore his creativity. Here Joseph has sculpted and intricately carved perhaps one of the world’s most imaginative wooden bed.

From these countries eleven brilliant designers have worked to showcase their own unique expression and style of contemporary design in each of the 10 rooms bedrooms and living spaces, the results of which are nothing short of spectacular, decadent but above all luxurious. For the first time guests can stay in a shrine to some of the best creative minds, architects, designers and chefs in the world.

As Mark explained, “I had a residence in Phuket for years and always loved the spot it was on so I decided to work with a local company on expanding the site to create Iniala”. Mark was on Phuket during the tsunami, which devastated much of the island in 2004, and was keen to invest and give back to the area. ” Iniala is an idea that started many years ago and has slowly evolved. I wanted to create somewhere that would showcase amazing design but also give guests a bespoke holiday experience”.

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coLLectors ViLLa

in the Biggest Bedroom in any oF the ViLLas ireLand’s JosePh waLsh, a master craFtsman, has scuLPted this most incrediBLe wooden Bed. VaLued at around £150,000 this is a symPhony oF ash wood and stone.

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Whilst both the villa rooms within The Collectors, Siam or indeed the Penthouse are outstanding design marvels in their own right, for us the most striking of the trio of villas, is Villa Bianca by Spanish architects and designers A-Cero.

“A-Cero were originally suggested to me [Mark explains] as designers for my new house in Barcelona, so I went to visit Rafael Llamazares at their stunning offices in Madrid and decided to go ahead with the project. I was so impressed with their style and professionalism; I invited them to design two bedrooms at Iniala as well as the Aziamendi restaurant for our star chef Eneko Atxa.

Joaquin torres and raFaeL LLamazares constitute the architecture team known as

a-cero. the key oF a-cero’s work is to keeP the idea throughout the whoLe Process,

From start to the cruciaL Phase oF the ProJect management. in this sense, the “why”

is as imPortant as the “how.”

the ProJect deVeLoPer For iniaLa entrusted to a-cero the interior design oF two

rooms oF one oF the ViLLas, concreteLy the ViLLa Bianca.

Meet the Architects

ViLLa Bianca

is an incrediBLe Futuristic, innoVatiVe and surreaL architec-turaL marVeL. a-cero’s magniFicent Bedrooms rePresent giant seasheLLs resuLting in wonderFuL scuLPturaL Forms that cLing to the sPectacuLar curVaceous ceiLings.

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distinctively more horizontal, embracing the spaces around it. The wide windows fill practically all of the main façade allowing guest to enjoy overlooking the outdoor landscape, the beach, through the porch and their own swimming pool. Whilst the wood pavement is continued to the porch. The furniture of the rooms is born in each of the curved lines that create the rooms.

The natural local wood is used for the floors and the walls of the rooms, looking for a natural environment according to the exuberant surroundings. In each of these rooms the designers have changed the disposi-tion of the elements to make them different.

Their rooms are pure A-cero, anarchic and organic, abstract and wonderful, yet they have combined this with the warmth of natural woods to create a harmoni-ous environment”. Both rooms designed by A-cero sit on Natai Beach directly face seafront.

Within Villa Bianca’s two shell shape bungalows, which share the same exterior swimming pool, the design-ers have successfully created “ying & yang” opposite interior designs, allowing both elements to play off against each other. In a game of vertical and horizontal lines that wrap the space within, the first room’s lines are more vertical, whilst in the second the curved lines are

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“I spent years globe-trotting looking for designers whose work I loved, such as The Campana Brothers of Brazil and Joseph Walsh

of Ireland. Once I had found the ‘chosen ones’, the real work began. I really do think Iniala is unique because someone different

has designed each room and their imaginations have run wild”.

Iniala OwnerMark Weingard

The first room has light wood horizontal sense floor and dark wood ceiling. The second room is the opposite, with dark wood vertical sense floor and light wood ceiling.The exclusive A-cero design furniture for this hotel is made with high quality polycarbonate in order not to see any joint. To make the introduction of the light easier, white has been used repeatedly throughout the rooms. The curved lines described previously conform each unique furniture piece, obtaining a head bed sculptural-ly joined with the ceiling. The luxury concept of this hotel includes important art pictures proposed by the owner and displayed around the complex with the chance to buy them.

The focus on high-end design is not confined to the villas and suites as Mark, furthers: “Iniala is not just a retreat to relax in by the beach in Phuket - it is also a temple of global design, art and gastronomy. I am delighted that some of the world’s foremost creative leaders are creat-ing Iniala Beach House - the ultimate place to stay in Asia. This is just the start of Iniala around the world as we develop afresh, innovative Residence that will be a joy to stay in and dine in.”

Iniala Beach House boasts all the luxury services and amenities as well as a team of professionals who take care of every detail to please its guests.

the iniaLa Beach house is aVaiLaBLe For PriVate hire From us$80,000 Per week. indiViduaL ViLLas and the iniaLa Penthouse suite are aLso aVaiLaBLe For hire

From us$21,000 Per week.

Fmiwww.iniala.com

email: info@iniala.comtel: +66 (0) 76 451 456

o

the quintessentiaL russian ‘matryoshka’ doLL is the muse For ‘PhiLosoPhy oF design’s’ PLayFuL LiVing

area and Bedroom. indonesian artwork and thai siLks comPLete the Furnishings and Both rooms haVe

terraces that oPen out onto the Beach and aFFord a sPectacuLar View oF the andaman sea.

luxury hidden ec

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