Radisson Resort & Spa Lonavala – A Harmonious Blend of Nature and Architecture

Architects: Malik Architecture

Nestled in the lush Sahyadri hills, Lonavala has long been a preferred weekend retreat for residents of Mumbai. Its cooler, drier climate, verdant landscapes, and rich historical legacy—including ancient forts and Buddhist cave temples—have attracted rapid urban development. However, uncontrolled construction has increasingly threatened the region’s natural charm and cultural character.

The Radisson Resort & Spa by Malik Architecture addresses this challenge by embracing Lonavala’s unique topography and natural beauty. The project demonstrates how modern hospitality architecture can coexist with the environment, creating a seamless blend of built form and landscape.

Contextual Design: Respecting Nature and History

Located in a predominantly residential neighborhood, the site spans two plots separated by a planned accessway that could not be built upon. The design draws inspiration from the region’s historical material palette, incorporating black basalt and wood, while carefully adapting to both public and private programmatic needs.

Rather than imposing a typical multi-story hotel mass, the architects developed organic, free-form public spaces with split-level topographical connections. This approach allows the architecture to integrate naturally with the landscape, creating a sense of openness and fluidity. Extant forms such as bastions, large masonry walls, and stepped courts (kunds) enliven the built environment, while room blocks hover above the ground as bold, abstract volumes featuring louvered, permeable secondary walls.

Experiential Hospitality: Architecture as a Journey

The resort replaces the conventional hotel experience with a journey through a landscape. Vertical rises in the ground lead into shaded atrium courtyards, and the spatial organization emphasizes light, materiality, and nature. Every step through the property alternates between built and unbuilt environments, allowing guests to feel immersed in the surrounding landscape rather than confined within a traditional building envelope.

This sensitivity to nature contrasts sharply with nearby hospitality projects, which often adopt urban models with thematic designs that are disconnected from the local context. The Radisson Resort & Spa Lonavala establishes a new benchmark for contextual, sustainable hospitality architecture, where design, nature, and cultural history converge.

Materiality and Sustainability

• Primary Materials: Black basalt, wood, and stone elements rooted in local tradition.
• Design Approach: Adaptive to topography, blending public and private spaces.
• Sustainability: Utilizes natural ventilation, shading, and minimal intrusion into the landscape.

Malik Architecture’s Radisson Resort & Spa Lonavala is a masterful example of how contemporary hospitality design can honor the natural and cultural landscape. By prioritizing open space, light, and material authenticity, the project elevates guest experience into a journey through nature, history, and architecture simultaneously.

All photographs are works of Bharath Ramamrutham