Mediterranean time off

Villa Nai 3.3 Dugi Otok, Croatia

Agape Destinations

EN

The island of Dugi Otok off Croatia’s Dalmatian coast

is the largest of the Zadarian Islands. Stretching 45km

long and only 4km wide, it is characterized by long sandy

beaches, white cliffs and turquoise waters along its coastline

and thick forests of maritime pines and olive groves across

its center. The town of Žman, which sits squarely in the

middle of the island’s western coast, is a holidaymaker’s

paradise. And among all of the many lush locales that

occupy the region, boutique hotel Villa Nai 3.3 is the most

exclusive of them all.

Prized for both its exquisite views and inventive take

on traditional architecture, the villa’s unusual structure was

designed by architect Nikola Bašic. “The conceptual design

of the hotel is thanks to renowned Croatian architect and

academician Nikola Bašic, who managed to portray Villa

Nai 3.3 unobtrusively, adapting to the surrounding nature by

respecting the contours of the terrain”, the owners describe

of its orientation, which sits burrowed into the ground facing

the sea. In fact, the pale stone walls of the villa’s structure

are formed of stones sourced from the surrounding olive

grove, blending the architecture into the environment using

a technique that has been used in the region for centuries.

“The terraced landscape of Dugi Otok is part of the ‘Art

of dry stone walling’ recognized by UNESCO as Intangible

Cultural Heritage”, the owners add.

Within the rooms, the designers took a more

contemporary approach. They chose fine Italian furniture

— marble coffee tables, plush, comfortable sofa, generous

four-poster beds — in a palette of neutral colors.

The decoration remains subtle enough to keep the eye

trained on the view beyond: a sloping field of olive trees

that leads downwards towards the shore, with neighboring

islands cropping up on the horizon. In the suites’ bathrooms,

they kept things similarly modern, contrasting the pale

local stone with rich marble surfaces, including the Flat

XL countertop with Ottocento 001 integrated washbasin.

“Agape provided an essential point of view”, the hotel

owners say of the collaboration, “that complemented

the materials, textures and colors of the surroundings in

which this project is set while keeping in with the modern

requirements of a five-star hotel”.

“Agape provided an essential point of view that

complemented the materials, textures and colors

of the surroundings while keeping in with the

modern requirements of a five-star hotel”.

Villa Nai 3.3

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