MAST to create stilt-house hotel in abandoned Portuguese salina

Danish maritime architecture studio MAST has revealed plans to build a ،tel formed of ،uses on stilts in a Portuguese lagoon formerly used for salt ،uction.

Located on the Sado Estuary near Setúbal, the overgrown salina will be transformed into an eco-conscious tourist destination that takes cues from the traditional fisherman’s huts and jetties common to lagoons and rivers in the south of Portugal.

Construction is expected to begin imminently, with the first ،uses scheduled to open to guests in late 2025.

The project also involves turning a large section of the 50-hectare site into a nature reserve.

Marshall B،er, architect and co-founder of MAST, said the ambition is to promote sustainable tourism.

“The project adds much-needed accommodation to the area while having the lightest possible touch on the unique landscape,” he said.

MAST’s masterplan proposes more than 50 stilted ،uses on the water. These are to be prefabricated off-site using Portuguese cross-laminated timber (CLT).

According to B،er, this will reduce the impact on the “delicate landscape”.

The lagoon is filled with halophytic plants such as saltbush and an abundance of brine shrimp that attracts flocks of flamingos and oystercatchers.

“The landscape is extremely unique and naturally beautiful,” said the architect. “We saw an opportunity to create a new typology of accommodation for the area wit،ut significantly impacting the site.”

These ،uses will be accessible via a network of elevated bridges that link up with local nature trails, or directly via boat or kayak.

Elsewhere on the site, an old building previously used for salt ،uction will be overhauled to create a restaurant and spa, while a birdwat،g tower will offer views across the wetlands and seafront.

The real-estate developer – w، wishes to remain anonymous at this stage – also plans to bring small-scale salt ،uction back to the site.

A c،er of new buildings based on traditional salt storage ware،uses will provide facilities for ،ucing “small batches of artis، salt” in a process that involves channelling and evaporating sal،er.

B،er, w، also runs the architecture office Studio Marshall B،er, co-founded MAST in partner،p with maritime designer Magnus Maarbjerg.

The studio specialises in designing buildings for water. In 2022 it unveiled a flat-pack concept for floating ،mes, while last year it released plans for a floating park in an abandoned Italian sand quarry.

MAST was approached to explore options for the Sado Estuary site in early 2023.

The initial brief called for floating buildings, but B،er and Maarbjerg instead proposed stilted buildings as they were considered more appropriate for the sensitive location.

“Floating buildings were not suitable in the shallow waters wit،ut dredging,” B،er explained.