Project Architect: Norman Foster, London

Project type: Residential resort, hotel and golf course development

Client: Tatorio Holdings (Mauritius) Ltd

Landscape value: € 20,000,000

Project description:The 176.8840 Ha site on the South-Western coast of Mauritius mainly consists of abandoned sugar cane fields previously utilised as deer hunting grounds. In addition to the introduction of a beach front hotel (The Banyan Tree), the development will also accommodate 110 individual residential villas on three to four thousand square metre plots. Each of these villas are carefully designed by Foster + Partners to overlook a 9 hole Gary Player golf course with the beautiful Indian Ocean as the backdrop. NLA have been appointed for the design and rehabilitation / development of the entire landscape area, including the forested drainage lines, grassy planes and road edges. Working in partnership with Green Inc. Landscape Architects, NLA is also responsible for the ‘intense’ landscape design of each of the villas, the golf course surrounds as well as the hotel.

Responding to the fact that the island of Mauritius is robbed of almost all its indigenous vegetation – by human development and the introduction of invasive alien plant species – the Corniche Bay landscape and planting philosophy strives to not only re-instate endemic and indigenous plant species but to showcase these in a ‘botanical garden’ setting. This ecological approach to the development against the backdrop of the Le Morne world heritage site will set this development apart from other island resorts and aim to educate and inspire the user with the natural beauty of the island. An on-site nursery will not only ensure the establishment of sufficient indigenous planting for the development but also provide for the recycling of the existing plant material as mulch and compost to the site.