Playa Vik Hotel

A 76-metre inclined titanium façade rises above Playa Mansa. Playa Vik José Ignacio is a collaboration between architect Carlos Ott and owners Carrie and Alex Vik, opened as a beachfront retreat in the village of José Ignacio, 20 kilometres northeast of Punta del Este on Uruguay's Atlantic coast. The central Sculpture building houses three suites behind a two-storey glass wall that slides open to ocean views; its entrance is marked by a monumental bronze door sculpted by Pablo Atchugarry. Lateral walls and roof panels are double-curved titanium; floors throughout are Patagonian ebony.

Six casas flank the main building, each holding two or three bedrooms, a fireplace, and a private garden accessed through fully retractable windows. Living roofs planted with native wildflowers ripple across the undulating pavilion structures, separated by bougainvillea climbing between the buildings. The 22-metre infinity pool is carved from Uruguayan black Absolute Nero granite; fibre-optic lights embedded in the pool floor map the southern celestial hemisphere.

Cielomar, the property's gluten-free restaurant, serves grilled fish, seafood, and regional produce in a dining room that opens to a terrace overlooking the beach. A spa, fitness centre, and playroom occupy lower levels. José Ignacio's beaches lie steps below. The property is 30 minutes by road from Punta del Este airport or two and a half hours from Montevideo.