’s Louvre project in Abu Dhabi with its perforated canopy providing dappled light and the clustered building forms underneath resonating with what we had in mind for our own project. The specific patterning of our canopy, as well as its signature oculus, recalls cholla cactus wood.’
This powerful overhang, perforated with openings of various sizes–that create an impression of dynamism and moving shadows, similar to tree canopy shading–defines the outdoor areas, sheltering terraces and walkways that help connect indoors and outdoors seamleassly in the pleasant Californian climate.
Throughout, water features, reflections, large openings, key furniture and art, such as a commissioned Rogan Gregory, enrich the spatious interior and exterior areas. But what makes this Madison Club house a trully ideal home for entertaining, is the suspended theatre space placed above the ground level bar. It features a motorized, movable wall that doubles as a movie screen, looking down to a similarly dramatic double height living space that is perfect for partying.
Between the house’s low forms, its natural material palette of plaster, wood, and stone and its open gardens and climate-appropriate design, Madison Desert Club is a memorable retreat that is embedded to its surrounds. It has been designed to perfection around its site and the owners’ needs. ’A true oasis in the desert,’ the architects conclude. §