An extraordinary escape for those who love the surrounding space rises in the shape of carefully designed observatories in Vicuña, Chile. The fantastic idea behind this unique project was re-imagined by RDM Arquitectura – the Elqui Domos Hotel was meant to offer an unimaginable stargazing experience. Set in a valley between the Andes Mountains from where stars, planets and the awe-inspiring milky way are clearly visible, the hotel constructs the perfect setting for an unforgettable experience.
One of the 7 astronomic hotels worldwide and the only one in the South Hemisphere, the Chilean Elqui Domos Hotel offers guests not only comfortable platforms for star-gazing, but also specialized astronomic tours, daytime and nighttime horse rides, bike and car rental, and barbeques. A collection of wooden cabins alongside translucent fabric domes make up the renovated and new facilities.
“Our rooms are 7 geodesic domes that on the inside are furnished in a two storey plan: on the first floor a living room and the bathroom, and in the second storey the main bed and a detachable roof over it. Each dome has an ample terrace. Other services, such as fridge bar, free tea are also part of what we offer. (…)To refashion the existing rooms, we emphasized the role of the terrace as main living area, and highlighted a specific sense of lightness –usually found in textile architecture– by placing the cabins’ volumes barely sitting on the land, reminiscent of foreign artifacts used for sleeping, dominating the landscape, or staring at the stars.”
