KENS INGTON' Nordic Heritage Of Purity In The Palmeraie Tupelo Architektur (Scandinavia) and Abdelkarim El Achak (Morocco) have originally mixed Moroccan traditional design with the Nordic heritage of purity and openness. The unique fusion of their respective talents and architectural heritages results in an unprecedented architectural combination. Set on 5.6 hectares (about 15 acres), in the Palmeraie, outside of the Medina of Marrakesh, the property faces the snowy Atlas to the South. An olive grove, an orange-tree garden and a vertical one surround three main buildings: the main villa, featuring four rooms, the secondary villa, La Tour and the Hippie Village. The main villa is at the crossways of the three gardens. A linear swimming pool stands between the olive and the vertical garden, in front of the villa. Moreover, in order to provide the owners as well as the guests the best comfort possible, several functional buildings are also hidden at the west of the main villa, in the luxurious gardens. The property is indeed equipped with a hammam, a yoga studio, and a training area. The relationship between all these buildings creates a cozy private village with gathering places and many smaller areas for retreat. As for the aesthetic aspect of the riad, the Scandinavian influence stands in the interpretation of Moroccan architecture. Firstly, structure has been reinvented by the incorporation of the garden as a fourth wall. Then, the interwoven and overlapping walls, and wall segments, create visual privacy but enable open-plan movement. As far as traditional Moroccan design is concerned, it is preeminent most of all in the craftworks. Zellige (or tile work) is extensive, as well as sculpted plasterwork, and traditional moosh orobi (or latticework). In the end, one should stress the fact that the riad has the charm of Moroccan traditional architecture. However, the Scandinavian influence gives the property an irresistible modernity: this un