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Inspiring architecture – the work of Jean-Marc Eynaud

Throughout the hospitality industry in recent years, we’ve witnessed the rejection of showy extravagance in favour of a new kind of pared-back luxury, particularly in the areas of architectural and interior design. This understated approach pays much closer attention to the role of people, place, culture and climate, and uses natural materials and the surrounding environment as a starting point for a more emotional and harmonious experience.

A major influencer in Mauritius is local architect Jean-Marc Eynaud; a resident of the island since birth whose hotel commissions have included Belle Mare Plage, Le Prince Maurice, Shanti Maurice and most recently Zilwa Attitude, which opened in November 2013. Eynaud’s architecture practice has been conceiving and creating ‘tropical buildings’ – mainly hotels, spas and villas in Mauritius and the Seychelles – for the past 25 years, always with a deeply-held conviction that the design must be anchored within its natural setting, using water-based landscaping and the principles of simplicity and serenity as a guide.

Zilwa Attitude is a true manifestation of this philosophy. The entire hotel is a paean to Mauritian culture and heritage, with all elements designed to reflect the back-to-basics authenticity of island life. The contemporary 'rustic chic' architecture takes its inspiration from the design of traditional homes and old Creole grocery shops (or 'boutiks'): tin, thatch or shingle roofs, rough-hewn surfaces and walls, wax-polished 'béton ciré' floors and bright colours. Internally, rooms pay tribute to Mauritian writers, artists and craftspeople, with handmade limed wood furniture and locally sourced coconut fibre carpets providing a backdrop for beach-centric details (driftwood, pebbles, sand, rattan) and paintings inspired by Malcolm Chazal.

In another of Eynaud's masterpieces – Shanti Maurice – the architect used natural materials like granite, lava stone, local hardwoods, marble and slate to create a tropical resort which reflects the beauty of the surrounding environment. The roofs of the buildings, with their distinctive pyramid shapes, are covered in wood shingle or sugarcane thatch; a ubiquitous material obtained from the principal crop of Mauritius. Individual villas are laid out to maximise sea views and privacy, each carefully designed by Eynaud to bathe the interiors in natural light and emulate the scale of a house. Added touches like private pools and outdoor rain showers add to the sense of this being a 'destination resort', while painting easels and telescopes encourage a creative use of the space.

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