Benhamou Studio Designs a Guesthouse Shaped by Marrakech’s Palmeraie

In the heart of Marrakech’s Palmeraie, Benhamou Studio has crafted a guesthouse that sits quietly within its desert garden, drawing inspiration from the oasis landscape to unfold as a serene dialogue between Moroccan architectural heritage and contemporary minimalism. “The project was conceived as a space of quiet balance: monumental yet intimate, raw yet refined,” says Youssef Benhamou, Founder and Creative Director of Benhamou Studio.
The architecture reveals itself through a sequence of measured contrasts: open courtyards and shaded arcades, smooth plaster planes and crafted detailing, the solidity of earth and the softness of light. “We wanted the architecture to feel timeless, to belong to its place without imitating it,” says Benhamou. Thick masonry walls finished in hand-trowelled plaster, tinted with natural pigments, provide both structural mass and thermal comfort. Earth-toned surfaces bear the mark of the craftsman’s hand, their irregularity lending a human warmth to the geometry. In contrast, fine metalwork introduces moments of precision, filtering daylight into patterned shadows that shift with the hours.
Light is treated as both material and motif. It moves through vaulted passages and across lime-rendered ceilings, tracing subtle changes across the interior as the day unfolds. Each transition between inside and out is carefully framed, allowing the eye to move fluidly between rooms, terraces, and courtyards. The sequence of spaces follows a rhythmic order that encourages calm and reflection.
Outside, the mirror pool reflects the surrounding palms and olive trees, recalling the traditional courtyards of North Africa while maintaining a distinctly contemporary clarity. The garden and architecture form a single composition, where still water, limestone paving, and vegetation echo the enduring calm of the oasis.
Inside, the same sense of equilibrium continues. Bespoke furniture and crafted details root the interiors in their Moroccan context without resorting to pastiche. Each suite features custom headboards, geometric tilework, and textiles in muted natural tones, extending the architectural language into touch and texture. Materials such as walnut wood, patinated metal, and handwoven fabrics create continuity between structure and furnishing, reinforcing the guesthouse’s tactile identity.
“The guesthouse offers an experience of stillness and emotion, inviting guests to slow down, feel the materials, and connect with the essence of Moroccan living,” Benhamou reflects. The design captures the essence of the Palmeraie through an architecture of calm and material sensitivity, translating the landscape’s quiet rhythm into built form.