Between Mountains and Sea, Casa Cook El Gouna Is An Altar to Light and Shadow

The 100-bed, five-star hotel is formed from the spaces between a scattering of dark olive monoliths, which reference both traditional Nubian vernacular and the clear geometries of Modernism. Designed by South Africa’s Common Architecture under the vision of Remo Masala, Creative Director of Casa Cook, the desert hideaway is both a reflection of and response to its natural surroundings, offering travellers an entrancing atmosphere in which to unwind and reset.

“Inspired by Egyptian temple architecture, we wanted Casa Cook El Gouna to have a rhythm and proportion which made use of the light in the area, which famously has a distinctive clarity about it,” Common Architecture says of their approach. Each space is an altar to daylight, offering a blank page for its elemental interplay to adorn the buildings: buffeted across walls by the wind, reflecting the dance of the water and casting silhouettes of cacti and palms or clean lines between slender timber lathes.

“Our goal was to adorn each space with light and shadow in such a way that the experience of it differs depending on the time of day;” the architects continue. “A wall is honest and plain at one hour, and decorated by indecipherable glyphs of shadow the next.”

The hotel’s materiality is grounded in the landscape it inhabits. The “moonscape of jagged rock, tufts of muted grass, and low-slung dunes” informed the Common Architecture’s material palette, high in tactility and organic patina. Concrete, unpainted plaster and slender timber battens – “the kinds of materials that make one want to drag one’s fingertips over them” – are softened by linen, patinated wood, and hammered brass accents. Locally made earthenware pots and woven baskets add subtle accents, while rattan awnings and linen curtains temper the sunlight.

In shaded palettes of taupe and calming grey, spacious suites form an essentialist canvas of natural, uncomplicated forms are lifted by natural textures and tones that let the mind soften and the eye wander. Intended to offer shelter from the intense heat of the day, which can soar into the forties, they set the scene for retreat and recalibration between the palpable energy of the mountains and sea. Crisp white sheets, outdoor showers, a coffee maker, and Marshall speakers complete an atmosphere of understated opulence, while small gestures like an offering of Egyptian sweets at daily turnover underscore a warm service ethos.

Spacious and peaceful, the hotel’s communal spaces are designed for effortless socialising or peaceful contemplation. At the Beach Club, poolside doubles as beachside. Daybeds shaded by rattan umbrellas overlook golden sand that stretches down to the gently lapping waves of a private beach. At sundown, DJs

At the ‘Kitchen Club’ restaurant, dishes are designed to be shared. An abundance of offerings draw inspiration from around the Mediterranean, while precedence is given to Egyptian mezze: taboulah, baba ghanouj, hummous and tahina, kofta, soft white cheeses. An expansive dining room comprises large communal banquet-style dining in the cool indoors or intimate tables for two on the shaded pergola-dotted terrace.

When introspection calls, the spa and indoor pool offer an idyllic respite within a shaded cocoon of minimalism. A host of rooms offer a variety of moments for rebalancing, from a yoga shala for private or group sessions, a compact, well-appointed gym, and a steam room and hammam. A menu of massages draws on Eastern methods and ancient Egyptian techniques for complete rejuvenation.

Beyond the sanctuary of Casa Cook, the Red Sea calls, its waters alive with hidden worlds. One might dive to meet coral reefs or trace the outlines of wrecks long claimed by the sea, or let the wind carry a kite across lagoons where ancient coral and seashells lie quiet in the sand. Overland, the Nile Valley waits, its temples and ruins whispering of lives lived and empires past.

In the shimmering heat of late afternoon, the adventure might move towards Egypt’s stone desert, a desert safari guided by Bedouin tribes shares time-honoured knowledge on geology, navigation, and local traditions in the spectacular sundown setting as the vast sky blushes into tawny pinks. As the stars come out, revealing the Milky Way in its full glory, and a campfire is lit, the inessential evaporates, leaving only a sense of wonder for vast stillness of this primal landscape.