L A R U C H E

La Ruche - a French word meaning ‘the hive’ corresponds to the structural design of the innovative vernacular roof - the most prominent architectural feature of the hotel design. The wavy gridshell takes its inspiration from the form of the sand dunes in the region. It is a 135 m-span Kagome-pattern (a noteworthy motif in the Rajput architecture pattern of Rajasthan) gridshell in local bamboo under which dwells the hotel’s entire built area; and a lively and contemporary three-axes landscaped courtyard. It serves as a roof of the banquet hall, the restaurant and the multi-purpose hall, cladded with multi-colored textile fabrics from Rajasthan, providing a holistic experience and aspiring to be one of the most sustainable gridshells.

This project is a collaborative effort of Antoine Bayard and me.