Ash Shi’afiyin Medical City Wellness Hotel

The climate and rugged terrain of this site at the threshold of the Sahara Desert played a crucial role in determining the placement and form of a 250‑room spa hotel near Msallata, Libya, outside Tripoli. The hotel’s common areas such as the lobby, dining and entertainment venues, spa, terraces, and various pools are arranged vertically at the center of a peninsula where three steep valleys converge, while multistory, tiered guestroom wings on either side follow the natural contours of the land. Uniquely, the hotel is entered from the top floor, and its low profile allows other buildings planned for the site to have broad views down the valley, which is dotted with olive and almond trees.