LYFE World Hotel

Hospitality has long measured itself by the scale of its rooms, ballrooms and event spaces. The World Hotel proposes a different measure: the quality of the landscape that connects them. Set within a 27.2-acre site in Uttampur, Odisha, the project reimagines the contemporary convention resort by allowing water, orchards, woodland and open ground to become the principal organisers of arrival, gathering and retreat. Rather than separating business, celebration and leisure into distinct experiences, the masterplan allows them to unfold within a shared ecological setting.
The proposal builds upon what already exists. Mature mango orchards, an established water body, cottages and nature trails become the foundation of the new resort, while convention facilities, banquet spaces, villas and guest accommodation are carefully inserted to reinforce, rather than replace, the site’s character. Programmes are distributed across the landscape instead of being consolidated within a singular architectural object, creating a hospitality experience defined by movement through gardens, shaded pathways and water edges as much as by the destinations themselves.
This dialogue between architecture and landscape is echoed in the material language. Drawing from Odisha’s vernacular traditions, the project interprets terracotta roofs, carved timber, Dokra metalwork, Pipli appliqué, cane weaving and locally crafted stone through a contemporary architectural vocabulary. Deep overhangs, perforated screens and layered façades temper the tropical climate while allowing light, air and texture to shape the everyday experience of the resort.
The banquet and convention facilities, traditionally conceived as self-contained destinations, are instead opened to the site through expanded pre-function spaces, transparent edges and landscape-facing gathering areas. Farm-to-table dining, wellness facilities, orchards, recreational trails and outdoor event lawns extend this experience beyond the building envelope, allowing hospitality to unfold across the entire estate.
What emerges is not simply a destination for events, but a landscape that accommodates them. Architecture provides the framework, yet it is the orchards, water, climate and regional craft that give the resort its enduring identity, quietly shifting the focus of contemporary hospitality from spectacle to a deeper sense of place.