Villa Autour Du Rocher

Residential Unbuilt Transformation of Ruins into a Grand Private Villa

A rocky promontory floating above the western end of Lorient Beach with near 360° views and stunning sunset vista. Curiously, in spite of the prominent location only ruins remain, marking the site of an old hotel.

Well it wasn't really a hotel,

it was a patio bar with funky rooms

and an outdoor disco with bad wiring.

-Jimmy Buffett - Autour Du Rocher lyrics

And with that, the story begins to unfold. Throughout 1980s, Hotel Autour Du Rocher served as a popular gathering spot for legendary parties. At one point, it was even partially owned by famous American musician Jimmy Buffett.

Unfortunately, the good times could not last forever and the outbreak of a fire severely damaged the hotel property which closed in 1991. Additional harm was inflicted by hurricanes and petty vandalism leading to the present dilapidated state of the ruins.

Over time with no efforts for resuscitation, the legendary status of the property grew in the hearts and minds of islanders and tourists alike. Consequently, the challenge of building at the site is considerable when reflecting upon its status as a local icon: both with its prominent geographical location as well as the psycho-geography of collective memory. Everybody has an opinion of what should be there and, in this case, rightly so. There are ghosts in those evocative old ruins.

Existing ruins of Hotel Autour Du Rocher.

Thus, finding an architectural solution that satisfies all of the potential stakeholders is a complicated dance through the process of gaining a building permit from the local government without alienating the general population. Privately owned yet publicly esteemed. How to respect the spirit of Autour Du Rocher? A new hotel—or is it "a patio bar with funky rooms"?—is more or less impossible because the size of location (combined with zoning limitations) is simply not enough to generate the necessary revenue. Instead, transforming the old ruins into the grand private estate Villa Autour Du Rocher—minimally visible from Lorient and built to suit a wealthy resident—becomes the most acceptable solution beyond the status quo.

Ruins of Hotel Autour Du Rocher before renovation by Bureau Xavier David.

Artist rendering of Villa Autour Du Rocher proposed by Bureau Xavier David.

Upper Villa (Autour Du Rocher)

At the upper half (near the old Autour Du Rocher ruins) of the proposed grand estate, design features incorporate the ruins themselves with refurbishment. Extensions of the building mimic the original gestalt with thick stone parti walls delineating various private residential suites. Two swimming pools, professional grade kitchen and lounge facilities appropriately position the result as more than just a villa but something closer to a traditional French hôtel particulier or private hotel.

Lower Villa (Plage Du Rocher)

At the lower half of the grand estate, private guest suites sit upon an underground parking structure set back from the beach itself. In front, a beach club comprising an ajoupa with kitchen creates a private restaurant/lounge with casual feet-in-the-sand appeal. A restored boat dock offers tender service to yachts. Excavated sand relocated to the beach contributes to the rehabilitation of the local ecosystem in conjunction with the restored coral reef. With some seagrass plantings, these actions will continue to balance a healthy natural ecological system at the western edge of Lorient Beach.

The result is the grand estate of Villa Autour Du Rocher yet pleasingly sited with a low profile into the landscape. Although no longer publicly accessible, there is plenty of room for all guests, even ghosts.