River Stones of Senegal: O’NDAR’s Poetic Vision for Sustainable Hospitality by michelangeli design
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New York, New York, USA
Building in Africa is never easy, but building on the Senegal River delta at the gateway to the magical city of Saint-Louis, Senegal, and close to the Langue de Barbarie Nature Reserve is a privilege.
The 135-room hotel, spa and conference centre project naturally gravitated towards positioning itself as an Eco-resort and Laguna Club, in strict compliance with the project’s environmental requirements.
O’NDAR, The River Stones of Senegal, by michelangeli design won an 2026 International Architecture Award from The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design.
Firstly, a low-rise building with a maximum of two floors, facing the lagoon. Secondly, an almost natural layout, following the meanders of the river, is emphasised by the wings of the accommodation buildings, arranged like pebbles on the riverbank.
It is from this layout that the concept of the project was born. The weather conditions in northern Senegal are drier than in the rest of the country, but the heat and sun at their peak strike the area relentlessly.
This is why the project incorporates this double pebble-shaped roof, which, like a string of beads arranged by a child on the riverbank, poetically emphasises the long silhouette of the building.
The project aims to be both discreet and iconic. Important for the growth of a region that has been partly forgotten due to the omnipotence and centrality of Dakar, it voluntarily complies with environmental rules based on the know-how and culture of West Africa.
A low-tech approach that highlights earthen brick construction, work on ventilation and the airflow effects created by the double roof, and the energy autonomy made possible by these roofs, which consist of a mixed structure, straw covering and a significant surface area of panels to achieve this autonomy.
Finally, the study of spatial and temporal migrations at the Delta of the Senegal River and the Langue de Barbarie has long been a subject of concern for researchers.
The construction could, in a way, ‘fix’ the retreat of the mangrove swamps on the site.
To this end, it was decided to keep the landscape of the site intact by creating a network of paths above the ground for minimal impact on the fauna and flora in a spirit that is at once minimalist, poetic and resolutely African.
Project: O’NDAR, The River Stones of Senegal
Architects: michelangeli design S.L.
Lead Architect: Jerome Michelangeli
Design Team: Lluvia Martinez Delgado and Pedro Perez de Castro
Associate Architects: Groupe Atepa
General Contractor: Makinen Suisse SA
Client: Fortunes Capital SA
Photographs: Courtesy of the Architects
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