When one thinks of modern architectural designs one rarely thinks of the Caribbean. Thoughts of modern large cities come to mind with visions of glass, skyscrapers and technological tools that would make any conservative soul cringe in their seat.  Although Caribbean Architecture is known for its wealth of history and colonial influences, we are slowly evolving into a society that welcomes all facets of architectural design, coming together to create a cohesive community.

Caribbean architecture has its root in the bare basics of building homes from indigenous construction materials. Here in the Turks and Caicos Islands, the conch shell was a local material used in a mortar mix to make what is known as the conch house. As time went on, technology began to evolve to use more wood and imported materials to create homes of Bermudian influence with wooden trellises, white rooftops and expansive outside decks to enjoy the cool Caribbean breezes. Old plantation ruins still stand today in Salt Cay and North Caicos to pay homage to this era when slavery was evident in our society. Salt Cay homes feature a large Bermudian influence. Here, salt was harvested from the ponds as early as the mid 1600s.

Slowly the Bermudian style housing designs were altered to include a twist, which some may term as Floridian architecture. Homes styled in this way are designed with cool surfaces and finishes reflective of the warm climates. A keen feature that may be found on every home is the large terrace or outdoor space that is ideal to enjoy the climate. Today, most of these homes are now being built to hurricane standards, so the gentle sloping rooftops and stucco or light colored exteriors are coupled with various types of shutter systems to protect from storms.

As the Turks and Caicos have become a thriving tourist and investment destination, one can find a variety of architectural influences from other parts of the world. For instance what can be considered Moroccan style with the restaurant “Lemon” found in Providenciales as well as the grand Villa La Kouba or Spanish styled hill top villas and luxury contemporary million dollar homes.

While typical Caribbean designs can still be seen at the Club Med on Grace Bay or the Caribbean Village at Beaches, the TCI hotels and developments – in an effort to differentiate themselves from their competitors – have departed from the bright Caribbean colors to include modern interior as well as exterior designs. In order to compete with holiday destinations like Miami Beach or Dubai, developments such as the Gansevoort Turks and Caicos have managed to incorporate contemporary architecture with a Caribbean flare.

Combining the aesthetics of contemporary design and the glamorous ring of leading global architects like Zaha Hadid or Shigeru Ban is Dellis Cay. The development has managed to elegantly bring together contemporary architectural concepts originating from countries like Italy, Japan and the UK and a typical Caribbean lifestyle: expansive outdoor areas and open terraces to allow for seamless interaction with the surrounding beauty. These demanding architectural concepts will certainly attract an entirely new clientele to our islands.

Even though the architectural heritage of the Turks and Caicos Islands and the Caribbean has elements of old and new, one thing that is certain is that each island and country will always retain styles that are unique to its history and the changing styles will show the progression of time.

David Chipperfield Architect Profile

“Chipperfield builds frames within which we experience life”

David Chipperfield is an acclaimed British Architect born in London in 1953. Chipperfield’s designs are driven by a philosophical modern approach and not the standard predetermined house style.  He and his team aim to create a detailed building that is intimately connected to context and function. Unlike many design masters, David Chipperfield is actively involved in the concept stage, planning, construction and completion of his works.  He currently has offices in London, Berlin, Milan and a representative office in Shanghai. His offices are multilingual and multicultural as he employs over 180 staff from over 15 different countries.

David Chipperfield trained at the Architectural Association in London and worked for Douglas Stephen, Richard Rogers and Norman Foster. He was a founding member and director of the 9H Gallery and a trustee of the Architecture Foundation. He is currently Professor of Architecture at the “Staatliche Akademie der Bildenden Künste” in Stuttgart, Germany.

David Chipperfield Architects was established in 1984, and has since undertaken work in Europe, Japan and the US. In 1997, Chipperfield won a major competition to redevelop the Neues Museum, one of the most important public buildings in Berlin, Germany, involving its reconstruction and re-interpretation as a historical monument. In 1999, he was awarded the Tessenow Gold Medal, and in 2004 he was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for services to architecture.

The company’s major projects include the extension of the San Michele Cemetery Island in Venice, the new City of Justice in Barcelona, the Palace of Justice in Salerno, the Empire Riverside Hotel in Hamburg, the Hepworth Wakefield, UK, the Turner Contemporary Gallery in Margate, UK, two major museum expansion projects in the USA – the Saint Louis Art Museum and the Anchorage Museum at Rasmuson Center. Two museums in Italy – the Ansaldo City of Cultures in Milan and the Natural History Museum in Verona. Chipperfield has also lent his expertise to a number of mixed use and residential developments over the years. His works have been published and exhibited extensively worldwide.

At the end of April, David Chipperfield and his family visited Dellis Cay together with Dr. Cem Kinay, visionary and developer behind Dellis Cay. The group visited the North Shore of Dellis Cay, the future site of the limited collection of seven David Chipperfield Villas, each with at least 150 feet of ocean frontage affording direct access to the channel that connects Dellis Cay and Parrot Cay. The North Shore will also feature the newly planned boat docking facility and the Kengo Kuma designed arrival building. David Chipperfield also toured the exclusive Dellis Cay Estates on the island’s West Beach, for which he is designing one unique masterpiece villa. The West Beach Estates will offer magnificent views of the reef located just offshore. Finally, the star architect from London experienced the construction progress on the island.

Dellis Cay is a 560-acre private island located conveniently only 15 minutes by boat from Providenciales. The development will be managed and serviced by the acclaimed Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group and is scheduled to open in mid 2010. A collection of exclusive Piero Lissoni designed Residences and Villas designed by one of the six renowned Dellis Cay architects is available for purchase.

If you are interseted in Dellis Cay and its wonderful properties, please review our Dellis Cay page or contact one of our agents for more information.

Zaha Hadid Architect Profile

London, UK

“Zaha Hadid Captures Movement in the fluidity of space”

Zaha Hadid is an Iraqi born architect whose work is as big, bold and unique as her character. Her high profile designs were once believed to be unappreciated as they seemed impossible to build however today she is hailed as one of the best architects of her time.

On October 31st, 1950 Zaha Hadid was born in Baghdad Iraq. She studied architecture at the Architectural Association in London, where she was later awarded the Diploma Prize in 1977. Hadid began her own practice in 1979 with the design of an apartment in Eaton Place, London, which was awarded the Architectural Design Gold Medal in 1982. During the 1980s she also taught at the Architectural Association. She has also taught at prestigious institutions around the world; she held the Kenzo Tange Chair at the Graduate School of Design, Harvard University, the Sullivan Chair at the University of Illinois at Chicago School of Architecture, guest professorships at the Hochschule für Bildende Künste in Hamburg, the Knowlton School of Architecture, at The Ohio State University, the Masters Studio at Columbia University, New York and the Eero Saarinen Visiting Professor of Architectural Design at the Yale School of Architecture, New Haven, Connecticut. In addition, she was made Honorary Member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters and Fellow of the American Institute of Architects. She is currently Professor at the University of Applied Arts Vienna in Austria.

Zaha Hadid has won many awards, in 2002 Hadid won the international design competition to design Singapore’s one-north master plan. In 2005, her design won the competition for the new city casino of Basel, Switzerland. In 2004 Hadid became the first female recipient of the Pritzker Architecture Prize, architecture’s equivalent of the Nobel Prize. Previously, she had been awarded an CBE for services to architecture. She is a member of the editorial board of the Encyclopædia Britannica. In 2006, Hadid was honored with a retrospective spanning her entire work at the Guggenheim Museum in New York. In that year

She also received an Honorary Degree from the American University of Beirut. Zaha Hadid’s architectural design firm – Zaha Hadid Architects – is over 250 people strong, with headquarter in London. In 2008, she ranked 69th on the Forbes list of “The World’s 100 Most Powerful Women”.

Hadid has been commissioned to oversee the Dellis Cay Master Plan, as well to design the futuristic-themed “Marina” Lifestyle Zone, which will include luxury beachfront villas, a commercial building with restaurants, boutiques, and a marina. The Marina Zone will encompass fluid architecture that uses water as a common design element, both outside and inside the marina space. Hadid has designed “Villa D” as her contribution to the West Beach Estates. This villa

will be located at the most desirable location on Dellis Cay and enjoying the longest beachfront and the largest villas on the island. A sparsely developed Lifestyle Zone with most of the natural vegetation of the cay intact, the West Beach Estates will offer magnificent views of the reef located just offshore.

Dellis Cay is a 560-acre private island located conveniently only 15 minutes by boat from Providenciales. The development will be managed and serviced by the acclaimed Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group and is scheduled to open in mid 2010. A collection of exclusive Piero Lissoni designed Residences and Villas, designed by one of the six renowned Dellis Cay, architects is available for purchase.

If you are interested in Dellis Cay and its wonderful properties, please review our Dellis Cay page or contact one of our agents for more information.

Kengo Kuma Architect Profile

“ Kengo Kuma blurs the relationship between what is built and what has always been there”

Kengo Kuma is a Japanese architect born in Kanagawa, Japan. He aims to “recover the tradition of Japanese buildings” with his designs. Kengo Kuma sees landscapes as a combination of nature and time and his architectural designs allow the occupants to experience nature in a very intense and intimate fashion. The transparency of the buildings is a characteristic of Japanese architecture that Kuma brings to his designs as he also uses light and natural material to achieve this goal.

The evolution of Kengo Kuma’s design began in his childhood, when he once believed that concrete was the only material used to construct buildings. He has since decided to go against this train of thought and prefers to use natural materials.

After attending high school and earning a degree in architecture from the University of Tokyo in 1979, Kuma worked at several companies and then decided to move to New York. In New York, he studied at Columbia University until 1986 and in 1990 he established Kengo Kuma & Associates. During the 1998/1999 academic year, he acted as a visiting professor on the faculty of environmental information at Keio University, Japan. In 2008, Kuma earned his Ph.D from Keio University, where he still currently is a professor on the faculty of science and technology.

The architect’s numerous residential works, museums, and other public facilities have received on-going critical acclaim and have won several national and international awards including the prestigious Architectural Institute of Japan Award in 1997.

Recent projects include LVMH (Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy) Group’s Japan headquarters completed in 2003, Suntory’s new Tokyo office building, and the Kodan Shinonome apartments completed in 2004, as well as the Great (Bamboo) Wall House – a structure formed primarily of glass and Chinese bamboo – outside of Beijing, completed in 2002.

Kengo Kuma has been commissioned to create the exclusive and exotic Resort Spa, the Mandarin Oriental Dellis Cay arrival building, as well as the general store housing a grocery store, bakery and coffee shop. The Spa at the Mandarin Oriental Dellis Cay will be one of the most lavish spas in the Caribbean, featuring the latest in spa therapies and tailored fitness programs. The Kengo Kuma spa will boast 17 private treatment rooms and will be devoted to the holistic restoration and renewal of the mind, body and soul.

Kuma will also design one of the nine “Dellis Cay Estates,” located on 2 acre lots on the desirable West Beach of Dellis Cay enjoying the longest beachfront with unique masterpiece designs from each Dellis Cay architect. The Dellis Cay Estates offer magnificent views of the reef located just offshore.

Dellis Cay is a 560-acre private island located conveniently only 15 minutes by boat from Providenciales. The development will be managed and serviced by the acclaimed Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group and is scheduled to open in mid 2010. A collection of exclusive Piero Lissoni designed Residences and Villas, designed by one of the six renowned Dellis Cay architects, is available for purchase.

If you are interested in Dellis Cay and its wonderful properties, please review our Dellis Cay page or contact one of our agents for more information.

Shigeru Ban Architect Profile

One of the world’s most innovative contemporary architects, Shigeru Ban is renowned for his use of unusual construction materials, such as paper tubes and shipping containers. In Ban’s native country Japan, he is well known for his beautiful private homes and it is these effortless elegant glass pavilions which inspire his beach villas at Dellis Cay.

Shigeru Ban, born in Tokyo in 1957, studied at the Southern California Institute of Architecture from 1977 to 1980, and graduated from the Cooper Union School of Architecture in 1984. He was apprenticed in the studios of Arata Isozaki from 1982-83 and in 1985 he opened his own studios in Tokyo. He now maintains offices in Tokyo, New York and in Paris.

Ban entertains several schools of architecture. First he is a Japanese architect and uses many themes and methods found in traditional Japanese architecture and the idea of a ‘universal floor’ to allow continuity between all rooms in a house. In his buildings, this translates to a floor without change in elevation. After studying under Hejduk, Ban learnt to design with a mix of modern, yet traditional Japanese spaces in mind. With his Western education and influences, Ban has become one of the forerunning Japanese architects who embrace the combination of Western and Eastern building forms and methods.

Through nontraditional thinking, he was the first architect in Japan to construct a building primarily out of paper. With his paper house, he required special approval for his building to pass Japan’s building code. Shigeru Ban is attracted to using paper because of its low-cost, its recyclable, low-tech and they’re replaceable. The last aspect of Ban’s influences is his humanitarianism and his attraction to ecological architecture. Ban’s work with paper and other materials is heavily based on its sustainability and because it produces very little waste. For Ban, one of the most important themes in his work is the “invisible structure”. That is, he doesn’t overtly express his structural elements, but rather chooses to incorporate it into the design. Ban is not interested in the most modern building materials and techniques, but rather the expression of the concept behind his building.

In 1996 he was awarded the Kansai Architect Grand Prize and the first prize in the Mainichi Design Award. Ban is known for his research into the use of economic materials, especially Paper Tube structure. His recent projects include the Japanese Pavilion at Expo 2000, and the New Pompidou Centre in Metz, France. He also worked for the UNHCR to develop refugee’s shelters in Rwanda and disaster relief houses after earthquakes in Kobe (1995), Turkey (1999), India (2001) and the Tsunami in Sri Lanka (2004). Shigeru Ban was the winner in 2005 of the 40th annual “Thomas Jefferson Medal in Architecture” from the University of Virginia in Charlottesville (this is the highest outside award offered by this university). This was awarded on the basis of Ban’s notable achievement in design and for distinguished contributions to the field of architecture. He was profiled by Time Magazine in their projection of 21st century innovators in the field of architecture and design.

For the Mandarin Oriental Dellis Cay, Shigeru Ban will lend his expertise to the design of the South Beach Villas linked to the over water guesthouse by a wood deck bridge. Harmoniously balancing Japanese Minimalism with a refined use of material, Ban’s Villas touch the earth with a lightness and transparency that draws you into serenity. Ban will undertake the construction of the Caribbean’s first true over-the-water villas in Dellis Cay’s “South Beach” Lifestyle Zone. Each villa will be divided into a main villa located on the beach and a floating house that will be entirely surrounded by water and linked to the beach by a discreet floating deck. Ban will also design one of the “The West Beach Estates,” located at the most desirable location on Dellis Cay and enjoying the longest beach-front and the largest villas. A sparsely developed Lifestyle Zone with most of the natural vegetation of the Cay intact, the West Beach Estates will offer magnificent views of the reef located just offshore.

If you are interested in Dellis Cay and its wonderful properties, please review our Dellis Cay page or contact one of our agents for more information.

Carl Ettensperger Architect Profile

Carl Ettensperger is an acclaimed Singapore based architect who believes in the power of the human connection to water. With this in mind, his architectural designs are utilized in premier resorts around the world as they encompass his personal relaxed philosophy and bring the perfect balance of elegant, understated exclusivity. He creates spaces that are not just visually pleasing, but also comfortable and purposeful environments that stir emotion make  people more aware of their senses and surroundings.

The Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California was the base at which Carl Ettensperger began his design aspirations. His illustrious career  includes being an MD of Hirsch/Bedner & Associates (HBA) and Wimberly Allison Tong Goo (WATG), Singapore, as well as setting up his own company,  Interior Design Network International Pte Ltd (IDNI), in 1996. Today, Carl Ettensperger is the Managing Director of C&C Studio, a Singapore-based boutique design studio.

He has been involved in some of the most prestigious projects in the hospitality industry, including The  Residence Hotel in Tunisia; Grand Hyatt, Taipei; St George’s Terrace, Australia; Grand Hyatt, Bali; The Canyon Ranch Spa Club, Las Vegas; The Park, Calcutta; Hyatt Regency, Kathmandu, Nepal; Canyon Ranch Health Resort; and the Bali Hyatt Spa in Indonesia. Some of his more recently completed projects are The Living Room, Marriott Hotel, Singapore; the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Hong Kong; Leela Palace Hotel in Bangalore and Bombay; Huvafen Fushi Resort & Spa, Maldives and the Hilton, Maldives.

Carl Ettensperger’s straight forward type of design philosophy, creates what is most appropriate for the location, function and style of each project. This same

philosophy inspired Dr. Cem Kinay, visionary and  developer of Mandarin Oriental Dellis Cay, to select  Ettensperger to design the first Over Water Villas in the Caribbean.

Some of Ettensperger’s awards and accolades include In 2008: Best Beach Resort in the World, Harpers Bazaar Travel for Huvafen Fushi Resort and Spa. In 2007: Indian Ocean’s Leading Spa Resort, World Travel Awards for Huvafen Fushi Resort. In 2006: Conde Nast Hot and Gold List: Huvafen Fushi Resort and also IIDA International Interior Design Award as well as Will Ching Award. The limited collection of  only five Carl Ettensperger designed Over Water Villas will be located on a  tranquil bay on Dellis Cay’s “South Beach”.

The 2 bedroom villas will follow the natural curves of the shoreline while offering unobstructed views of the calm Turks and Caicos waters. With a total living area of 7,769 sq ft the expansive terraces featuring an infinity edge pool, a dining and barbeque terrace and various seating and relaxation areas foster a Caribbean lifestyle with privacy second to none.

Dellis Cay is a 560-acre private island located conveniently only 15 minutes by boat from Providenciales. The development will be managed and serviced by the acclaimed Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group and is scheduled to open in mid 2010. A collection of exclusive Piero Lissoni designed Residences and Villas, designed by one of the six  renowned Dellis Cay, architects is available for purchase.

If you are interested in Dellis Cay and its wonderful properties, please review our Dellis Cay page or contact one of our agents for more information.

Piero Lissoni Architect Profile

With each development in the Turks and Caicos Islands featuring elements that are rarely seen anywhere else in the world, Dellis Cay is no exception. “It is under truly rare circumstances that the most recognized architects, designers, and hoteliers from around the world collaborate together, creating a cohesive architectural vision to bring Dellis Cay to life,” said Dr. Cem Kinay, developer and visionary behind the project. He is referring to the team of six renowned architects Shigeru Ban from Tokyo/Japan, David Chipperfield from London/UK, Carl Ettensperger from Singapore, Kengo Kuma from Tokyo/Japan, Zaha Hadid from London/UK and Piero Lissoni from Milan/Italy, as well as the acclaimed Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group that will manage and service the private island development.

One architect that has put his design-stamp on a large part of the first phase is architect and designer Piero Lissoni. Lissoni approaches his work with a mastery of proportion and an acute sensitivity for the subtlety that distinguishes the common from the insightful, never designing for a specific function or purpose, but designing for human beings. Lissoni’s influences include Italian masters Zanuso, Sottsass, Castiglioni, and Magistretti, but also Danish designers such as Arne Jacobsen and Poul Kjærholm. His clients are many of the most world-renowned design companies: Alessi, Boffi, Cappellini, Cassina, Flos, Fritz Hansen, Kartell, Living Divani, Matteograssi, Poltrona Frau, Porro, and Tecno.

Piero Lissoni began his career in 1978 having gained his architecture degree at the Milan Polytechnic and in 1985 he started with Boffi Kitchens as Art Director & Designer.

With his partner Nicoletta Canesi he founded the architectural firm Lissoni Associates in Milan in 1986, and ten years later lent his vision to Graph.x, a graphic design company. As well as designing furniture, kitchens, bathrooms and lighting fixtures, he is also a premier art director, focusing on corporate identity, signage and packaging. This vast all-round design experience has allowed him to craft a turn-key package for Dellis Cay with masterful design and quality consistency throughout.

Lissoni’s projects are often total designs – that includes, full-scale interiors and architecture of offices and showrooms, yachts, private homes, and hotels. In recent years, he has designed luxury hotels such as the Monaco & Grand Canal in Venice, the Al Porto hotel on Lake Zurich, the Bentley Design Hotel in Istanbul, and the Mitsui Garden Ginza Hotel in Tokyo and a luxurious resort in Miami. The design of the Beach and Ocean Villas and the Residences on Dellis Cay completes the list of high profile design projects Piero Lissoni has been involved in.

In 2005, Lissoni received one of the highest recognitions in the design world, being given the prize “Hall of Fame of Interior Design” during an elaborate reception at the New York’s Waldorf Astoria in addition to the “best Kitchen 2005” Elle Décor International Award for his “Table System” Boffi Kitchens.

Piero Lissoni is responsible for architectural and interior designs of the Dellis Cay Resort Area, comprised of the Resort Hotel, Beach House Residences and two unique private Villa designs. His designs are rapidly becoming a reality on Dellis Cay. The roof tops have been completed on the 17 Beach and Ocean Villas, of

which only one is remaining to be sold. The roof tops of the Beach House Residence buildings are being completed  and the finishing works will commence within the next few weeks. Two thirds of the Beach House Residences have been sold to date.

Grand Opening of the first phase of the development including the vast list of services and amenities with 2 restaurants, a bar, a gourmet store with coffee shop and bakery, a kid’s club, watersports and tennis center and much more is scheduled for mid 2010.

If you are interested in Dellis Cay and its wonderful properties, please review our Dellis Cay page or contact one of our agents for more information.

The Biggest mistake that most people make when trying to design their own Caribbean residence is…Doing it themselves! Since the clients are comfortable with what they know, eventually they’re just reciting the same thing that they are familiar with. They can’t produce the unexpected because the ideas are coming from within.

As architects and designers we do keep in mind that it is not our space; part of the definition of what we do as architects and designers is to create an environment for other people with those people in mind. While the architect/designers work should reflect their expertise, it’s also about the collaboration between the designer and their clients to create something exactly right for them.

The order we follow as architects is…first we visit the site and really take it all in, it’s all about observation. We observe the lay of the land (its topography), the views the lot offers, the natural vegetation (trees, brush etc.), predominant wind direction and the passage of the sun. All of these factors and more will assist us in the best possible placement of a structure as well as the placement of all of its door and window openings, terraces etc. We also incorporate all of this information to best suit the clients personal needs and desires when laying out the structures’ floor plan, traffic flow and space allocations. Every bit of this information down to the last detail is then drawn into construction documents, material, hardware and equipment schedules and mechanical, electrical, structural and civil engineering drawings for the purpose of obtaining building permits and of course to be handed to a reputable contractor to be erected.

The order we follow when designing is…we consult with the floor plans and look at the circulation. We start thinking about how you will use the space; is it going to be used solely for the family and friends or does the space have to brace for the abuse of short term rental traffic? We do this in scale drawings and then create an ideal layout. Then we start specifying the look we want – maybe a light and airy house on the beach with wood with natural oiled finishes in matte accents and muted cool jewel toned textiles. The placement and location of furniture is as crucial as the specification of materials. Once we have all of the selections solidified we undertake the arduous task of preparing specifications, placing, tracking, consolidating, shipping and installing the entire furniture package. What we like to call turn key service.

“Architecture should dictate your style choices, form following function…”

“Every home must have a heart and soul but above all practicality. It must reflect the personality of the owner and be calm and serene underneath all the décor.”

“There are many rules designers should bear in mind. One is…knowing when to break them.”

“Every home must have …Comfortable living spaces. This is the most important element of successful design. Groupings of furniture should be cozy and functional; “Comfort is the ultimate luxury”

“When choosing wall colors and accents it is best to take you cues from your surroundings; Color can give you a dramatic effect whether it is subtle or exciting it sets the backdrop for objects you choose to fill you home with.”

“We suggest using simple, humble objects that have great form to them; certain driftwood, sea fans and shells for instance; treasures Found while beach combing.”

“Traditional island design elements in architecture have withstood the test of time. They are as practical today as they were centuries ago.”

Michael Fenimore, Partner/Managing Director, Fenimore Rosenberg Kolb Ltd.