Whale Pool Club
Portugal

Making a new pool club, with connecting swimming areas, terraces and restaurants was what Archer Humphryes created for the Pohl family in the Algarve as part of the Vila Vita Parc Resort. Poolside casual dining, with magnificent views to the beach and to the Atlantic Ocean was the key essence of the project concept. Perched upon breath-taking clifftops in luscious tropical gardens was where the designers created a new destination across three levels with striking new architecture and new pools. With architecture, landscape and interior design the adapted site has been reinvigorated as a contemporary setting.

The result is a serene place that works throughout the day and twinkles with lighting carefully conceived to give a relaxed atmosphere. At night beach ware the materials and textures are smooth where touched, with local linens and materials adding to the design palette. Tables are arranged to provide everyone with views of the ocean and carefully screened that even when the coastal winds are raging the view and restaurant can be enjoyed.

A dramatic staircase connects the different spaces and is a central feature of the complex. Banana leaves and tropical plants are part of the evolving landscape to create privacy and intimacy within a poolside designed to be seen in, and where celebrities frequently stay undisturbed. Working with our product and furniture designs - Fratelli Boffi created the furniture, with occasional pieces from Italian manufacturers, all combined to create the theatrical ambience.