Tree sanctuary hotel concept
SYLVA
A hotel grown inside an ancient forest — wood, water and warm light.
SYLVA is a boutique hotel concept imagined inside the hollow of a giant ancient tree. Guests arrive along a water garden between colossal trunks, step into a cavernous wooden lobby wrapped by a spiralling staircase, and sleep in suites where carved timber arches frame waterfalls and forest. The concept blends fantasy with calm luxury. Warm wood, travertine, bronze and green marble, soft concealed light and the constant sound of water create a retreat that feels grown, not built.
Material direction
Carved natural wood; travertine; polished dark marble; green marble accents; aged bronze; bouclé and linen textiles; water features throughout; warm concealed lighting. Final finishes and construction details would be developed during technical design.
My role
Concept design, creative direction and visual storytelling — Maria Andriiuk.
Concept & atmosphere
A retreat grown from the forest itself. Every space is wrapped in warm carved wood and the sound of water, designed to feel protective, quiet and slightly magical.
Signature elements
The water-garden arrival between giant trunks; a hollow-tree lobby with a spiralling staircase; suites with arched openings facing the waterfall; terraced spa pools lit by lanterns and candles.
Lighting direction
Warm and concealed: light tracing the stair edges, grazing the bark texture, glowing through arches like dusk through a forest. Lanterns and candle-like accents carry the light down to the water.
Experience & journey
Arrival along lantern-lit water, into the glowing hollow of the lobby and up the spiral stair. Suites open to the sound of the falls; the spa descends among the roots, where pools steam in candlelight.
Scope of work
Overall concept and narrative; exterior and interior atmosphere; lobby, suite and spa direction; material, colour and lighting direction; visual storytelling and presentation.
