St. Regis Resort

Overview

Located within the Ummahat archipelago along Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coastline, The St. Regis Red Sea Resort is a luxury island destination designed by Kengo Kuma and developed as part of the Red Sea Global tourism initiative. The 90-key resort comprises overwater and island villas carefully positioned within a pristine marine environment characterized by coral reefs, white sand beaches, and protected natural habitats. The project combines contemporary hospitality design with a strong sensitivity to landscape, materiality, and regional context. The architectural concept draws inspiration from the forms and textures of the island environment. Curved roof structures establish a close relationship between architecture and terrain, while the beachfront villas reference surrounding sand dunes and the overwater villas adopt spiraled forms inspired by coral formations.

Natural materials and muted tonal palettes reinforce the connection between built form and landscape throughout the resort. Dewan Architects + Engineers acted as Executive Architect and Architect of Record for the project, overseeing BIM coordination, authority approvals, construction documentation, consultant integration, and technical delivery. Dewan also led the design and coordination of the resort’s back-of-house and operational facilities while supporting the preservation of Kengo Kuma’s architectural vision throughout the project lifecycle.

Project Vision

The vision for The St. Regis Red Sea Resort was to create a hospitality destination that is deeply connected to its natural surroundings while delivering a refined and immersive guest experience. The project sought to balance architectural expression with environmental sensitivity, using materiality, form, and spatial planning to establish a seamless dialogue between the resort and the Red Sea landscape.

Design Response

Kengo Kuma’s architectural approach emphasizes softness, fluidity, and material integration, allowing the resort to emerge naturally from its island setting. Dewan Architects + Engineers translated this vision into a coordinated and technically deliverable project while maintaining the integrity of the original design intent.

Key design strategies included:

• Integration of overwater and beachfront villas inspired by coral formations and sand dunes
• Coordination of BIM workflows and multidisciplinary consultant packages across the resort development
• Design and delivery of operational, staff, and back-of-house facilities supporting resort functionality
• Use of curved roof geometries to establish continuity between architecture and landscape
• Incorporation of natural materials and subdued tonal palettes reflecting the Red Sea environment

Experience of Place

The guest experience is shaped by a strong relationship between architecture, water, and landscape. Villas are positioned to maximize privacy and panoramic sea views, while pathways and arrival sequences reinforce a gradual immersion into the island setting. Overwater villas extend directly above the sea, creating uninterrupted visual connections to the surrounding marine environment. Interior environments emphasize calmness and material authenticity through natural finishes, filtered light, and carefully framed views. The architecture balances intimacy with openness, creating spaces that feel both secluded and deeply connected to the rhythms of the surrounding landscape.

Performance & Impact

The St. Regis Red Sea Resort forms part of Saudi Arabia’s wider ambition to position the Red Sea as a global destination for luxury tourism, environmental stewardship, and culturally rooted hospitality experiences. The project demonstrates how carefully integrated architecture can enhance remote natural environments while supporting long-term tourism growth and regional economic diversification. The resort contributes to a new generation of destination developments that prioritize immersive guest experiences, environmental sensitivity, and contextual architectural expression. Through its integration within the island landscape, the project promotes a hospitality experience that is deeply connected to the ecological and cultural identity of the Red Sea coastline.

The project’s performance outcomes included:

• Delivery of a luxury hospitality destination within a protected marine environment
• Support for sustainable tourism development along Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coastline
• Integration of architecture and landscape strategies that minimize visual and environmental impact
• Creation of immersive hospitality environments shaped by the surrounding island and marine setting

“What makes The St. Regis Red Sea Resort remarkable is the subtlety of its relationship with the landscape. The architecture does not seek to dominate its setting; instead, it draws from the forms, textures, and rhythms of the island to create a hospitality experience that feels deeply rooted in place.”

Vandana Gopakumar

Associate Director

Project Facts

The following information outlines the key details of the project.

• Location: Red Sea, Saudi Arabia
• Sector: Hospitality
• Client: Red Sea Global
• Design Architect: Kengo Kuma & Associates
• Executive Architect: Dewan Architects + Engineers
• Size: 26,443 m²
• Accommodation: 90 individually decorated beachfront and overwater (Coral) villas
• Status: Completed
• Completion Year: 2024