Shebara Resort — Architecture That Appears to Float

At dusk on Sheybarah Island, the villas at Shebara Resort take on the colours of Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea. Gold catches on their mirrored shells while the water beneath them deepens to blue. From the curving walkway that links the villas, the slender supports recede into shadow. For a moment, the buildings appear to float.

Designed by Killa Design, the overwater villas change character as the light moves across them. In the morning, their polished stainless steel reflects the pale sky. By late afternoon, the same surfaces take on the deeper blues of the lagoon. The rounded forms are striking in silhouette, yet much of what you see on their surfaces is the sea itself.

Inside, the mood shifts. Warm timber, sand-toned finishes and curved furnishings soften the futuristic exterior. Floor-to-ceiling glass keeps the water in view, giving guests a quiet vantage point from which to watch the very thing that makes the architecture so distinctive.

In this Polo de’Marco architecture feature, Bianca Thompson explores how Shebara uses reflection to make the Red Sea part of the experience of staying there. The view from the walkway changes with every step, and the villa you return to at dusk can look like a different building from the one you left that morning.