Located at the base of Mt San Jacinto at the edge of Palm Springs, the V Hotel sits at the threshold of city and desert. A reimagining of an existing hotel, the landscape seeks to unify and transform the visitor experience. Playing with formal and informal planting arrangements, the planting palette is meant to amplify the qualities of both the urban and wild adjacencies. A grove of Washingtonia Palms connects to the surrounding palm skyline, blurring the boundary at the edge of the street. Much of the remainder of the planting is inspired by a desert wash—groupings of boulders and native plants accented by gradations of gravel.

Once a parking lot, the space between the two main buildings is reimagined as a vibrant pool patio, activated by cabanas, and outdoor bar and firepits framed by sculptural succulent groupings. A new transparent lobby spans the front of the patio, framing views into the native garden walks that surround the pool. At the new entrance to the property, an orchard of Chilean Mesquite open up to a new arrival monument—a series of custom ceramic totems that animate the façade of the lobby. Fabricated by hand in Belgium by Atelier Vierkant, the tones and patterns of the clay were inspired by water moving through a desert wash. Paving patterns and planting reinforce the sculptural quality of the piece and pull visitors into the entrance.

Location: Palm Springs, CA

Status: Completed 2017

Client: V Palm Springs

Project Type: Hospitality

Collaborators: Atelier Vierkant, Concrete Collaborative, Roy Asaro

Photography: Marion Brenner, Undine Pröhl