Project Name: ITC Mementos Ekaaya Resort
Architect / Landscape Design: Dharam Patel
Design Firm: Art & Architecture Associates
Project Type: Hospitality Landscape Design
Location: Eklingji, Udaipur, Rajasthan, India
Land Area: 100 Acres
Project Year: 2013
Photography: Tejas Shah Photography

ITC Mementos Ekaaya, designed by Architect Dharam Patel of Art & Architecture Associates, received the Winner recognition at the ACES of Space Awards 2023 held in Mumbai for Landscape Design. The award recognizes projects that demonstrate excellence in integrating landscape architecture with built environments to create meaningful spatial experiences.

Located amidst the dramatic terrain of the Aravalli Mountains near Eklingji, Udaipur, the landscape design plays a central role in shaping the identity of the luxury resort. The project carefully preserves and enhances the natural topography of the site, allowing villas, pathways, water bodies, and gardens to seamlessly blend with the surrounding forested hills. The landscape strategy emphasizes minimal intervention while celebrating the natural beauty of the site.

The master plan incorporates meandering pathways, curated gardens, lagoons, event lawns, and villa clusters, creating a series of immersive outdoor environments. Native tree-lined boulevards and cobbled pathways guide visitors through the resort while framing panoramic views of the Aravalli ranges.

Key landscape elements include a lagoon-style main swimming pool, banquet lawns for destination weddings, tranquil spa courtyards, and private villa gardens, each designed to respond to the natural contours of the terrain. The landscape enhances the sensory experience of the resort through carefully designed water features, lush vegetation, and open lawns that provide spaces for relaxation and celebration.

By creating a seamless relationship between architecture and nature, the landscape design transforms the resort into a luxurious yet environmentally sensitive destination, where guests experience the grandeur of the Aravalli mountains alongside curated gardens and water landscapes.

Winning the ACES of Space Awards 2023 for Landscape Design highlights the project as a significant example of contextual hospitality landscape architecture in India, demonstrating how thoughtful landscape planning can elevate the experience of luxury resort design.