Fata Morgana

Fata Morgana is an Italian term for the complex mirage seen in a narrow band right above the horizon. It is named after the Arthurian sorceress Morgan le Fay, from a belief that these mirages, often seen in the Strait of Messina, were fairy castles in the air.

Unlike the negative historical connotation of Fata Morgana, this hotel room in Lake Campotosto is a floating space above the surface of the water that creates a mirage-like image.

The building is a timber structure supported by a pontoon system. It has a detachable balcony so the residents can float away and enjoy the lake.

The facade is finished with a concrete-like plaster creating an illusion of a heavy volume floating above the surface of the lake. The same material also covers the surfaces throughout the interior to give the building an equivocal identity. Surrounded by water and an array of mountains, Fata Morgana is designed as a place to detach oneself from city life and become utterly surrounded by the tranquillity of water and mountains.

This project has been developed by UK-based architectural designer Polina Morova.