José Carlos Cruz completes "world's first cork-clad hotel"
Portuguese architect José Carlos Cruz claims to have built the world's first cork-clad hotel, located amongst the olive and cork trees of Portugal's Alentejo region (+ slideshow).
![Ecork Hotel in Evora by Jose Carlos Cruz Arquitecto](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2013/12/Ecork-Hotel-in-Evora-by-Jose-Carlos-Cruz-Arquitecto_dezeen_22sq.jpg)
Situated outside the city of Évora, the Ecork Hotel comprises a cork-clad restaurant and leisure complex with 56 hotel suites contained in a series of adjacent bungalows.
![Cork-clad Ecork Hotel in Portugal by José Carlos Cruz](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2013/12/Ecork-Hotel-in-Evora-by-Jose-Carlos-Cruz-Arquitecto_dezeen_26.jpg)
José Carlos Cruz and his design team chose cork to clad the walls of the main building because it is both readily available and highly insulating.
![Cork-clad Ecork Hotel in Portugal by José Carlos Cruz](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2013/12/Ecork-Hotel-in-Evora-by-Jose-Carlos-Cruz-Arquitecto_dezeen_1sqa.jpg)
"Portugal is the second biggest exporter of cork in the world, so we thought it would be a good starting point for the building," project architect António Cruz told Dezeen.
![Cork-clad Ecork Hotel in Portugal by José Carlos Cruz](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2013/12/Ecork-Hotel-in-Evora-by-Jose-Carlos-Cruz-Arquitecto_dezeen_2.jpg)
There are only a few small openings in the outer walls of the building, creating large uninterrupted surfaces of the material.
![Cork-clad Ecork Hotel in Portugal by José Carlos Cruz](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2013/12/Ecork-Hotel-in-Evora-by-Jose-Carlos-Cruz-Arquitecto_dezeen_21.jpg)
"One of our intentions was to promote cork as a cladding material," said Cruz. "It's a good thermal insulator and is also recyclable."
![Cork-clad Ecork Hotel in Portugal by José Carlos Cruz](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2013/12/Ecork-Hotel-in-Evora-by-Jose-Carlos-Cruz-Arquitecto_dezeen_32.jpg)
The two-storey leisure complex accommodates gym and spa facilities, conferences rooms and an indoor swimming pool, which all surround a central courtyard.
![Cork-clad Ecork Hotel in Portugal by José Carlos Cruz](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2013/12/Ecork-Hotel-in-Evora-by-Jose-Carlos-Cruz-Arquitecto_dezeen_7.jpg)
The first floor has walls but no roof, accommodating a bar, outdoor pool and sunbathing deck with views out over the rural landscape.
![Cork-clad Ecork Hotel in Portugal by José Carlos Cruz](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2013/12/Ecork-Hotel-in-Evora-by-Jose-Carlos-Cruz-Arquitecto_dezeen_18sq.jpg)
The hotel suites are set back from the main building in a layout based on the typical arrangement of a medieval Portuguese village.
![Cork-clad Ecork Hotel in Portugal by José Carlos Cruz](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2013/12/Ecork-Hotel-in-Evora-by-Jose-Carlos-Cruz-Arquitecto_dezeen_19.jpg)
"The general plan is inspired by the medieval villages of the Alentejo, where it was common to find a main complex or castle, and several white buildings around it," said the architects.
![Cork-clad Ecork Hotel in Portugal by José Carlos Cruz](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2013/12/Ecork-Hotel-in-Evora-by-Jose-Carlos-Cruz-Arquitecto_dezeen_10.jpg)
With clean white-rendered walls, the suites form rows that line the edges of walkways. Each one comes with its own private courtyard, screened behind a perforated wall.
![Cork-clad Ecork Hotel in Portugal by José Carlos Cruz](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2013/12/Ecork-Hotel-in-Evora-by-Jose-Carlos-Cruz-Arquitecto_dezeen_16.jpg)
Photography is by Fernando Guerra.
Here's a project description from Jose Carlos Cruz Arquitecto:
Ecork Hotel
Ecork is a Hotel in Évora, Portugal, with aspa, health club, gym, restaurant, bar, conference rooms, outdoor pool and 56 bungalows.
![Cork-clad Ecork Hotel in Portugal by José Carlos Cruz](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2013/12/Ecork-Hotel-in-Evora-by-Jose-Carlos-Cruz-Arquitecto_dezeen_12.jpg)
Built on a set of cork and olive trees, the general plan is inspired by the Medieval villages of the Alentejo, where it was common to find a main complex or castle, and several white buildings around it.
![Cork-clad Ecork Hotel in Portugal by José Carlos Cruz](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2013/12/Ecork-Hotel-in-Evora-by-Jose-Carlos-Cruz-Arquitecto_dezeen_3sq.jpg)
All services and hotel facilities are aggregated into a single building, freeing the land outside the bungalows.
![Cork-clad Ecork Hotel in Portugal by José Carlos Cruz](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2013/12/Ecork-Hotel-in-Evora-by-Jose-Carlos-Cruz-Arquitecto_dezeen_35.jpg)
Influenced by the vernacular architecture and Arabic, is created a monolithic volume with small openings to the outside, which together with cork coating which is fully recyclable and ensures thermal protection of the building.
![Cork-clad Ecork Hotel in Portugal by José Carlos Cruz](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2013/12/Ecork-Hotel-in-Evora-by-Jose-Carlos-Cruz-Arquitecto_dezeen_23.jpg)
Built around a large courtyard, the layout is designed so as to take advantage of crosswinds and air circulation, thus reducing power consumption to the minimum necessary.
![Cork-clad Ecork Hotel in Portugal by José Carlos Cruz](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2013/12/Ecork-Hotel-in-Evora-by-Jose-Carlos-Cruz-Arquitecto_dezeen_13.jpg)
In order to ensure the lowest possible occupation and overview of the Alentejo Landscape, outdoor pool and bar are located on the roof of the building.
![Cork-clad Ecork Hotel in Portugal by José Carlos Cruz](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2013/12/Ecork-Hotel-in-Evora-by-Jose-Carlos-Cruz-Arquitecto_dezeen_9.jpg)
All 56 bungalows are suites. Their deployment, scattered among the olive trees around the property is defined by the structure of internal thoroughfares.
![Cork-clad Ecork Hotel in Portugal by José Carlos Cruz](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2013/12/Ecork-Hotel-in-Evora-by-Jose-Carlos-Cruz-Arquitecto_dezeen_34.jpg)
These paths are read as a series of abstract volumes and surfaces, plastered and whitewashed.
![Cork-clad Ecork Hotel in Portugal by José Carlos Cruz](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2013/12/Ecork-Hotel-in-Evora-by-Jose-Carlos-Cruz-Arquitecto_dezeen_24.jpg)
Location: Évora, Portugal
Area: 6300 m2
Design time: November 2008
Completion time: May 2013
![Cork-clad Ecork Hotel in Portugal by José Carlos Cruz](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2013/12/Ecork-Hotel-in-Evora-by-Jose-Carlos-Cruz-Arquitecto_dezeen_8.jpg)
Architect: José Carlos Cruz
Interior Design and Decoration: José Carlos Cruz
Civil engineer: Newton, Consultores de Engenharia
Mechanics Engineer: ENES.COORD
![Cork-clad Ecork Hotel in Portugal by José Carlos Cruz](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2013/12/Ecork-Hotel-in-Evora-by-Jose-Carlos-Cruz-Arquitecto_dezeen_37.gif)
![Cork-clad Ecork Hotel in Portugal by José Carlos Cruz](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2013/12/Ecork-Hotel-in-Evora-by-Jose-Carlos-Cruz-Arquitecto_dezeen_38.gif)
![Cork-clad Ecork Hotel in Portugal by José Carlos Cruz](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2013/12/Ecork-Hotel-in-Evora-by-Jose-Carlos-Cruz-Arquitecto_dezeen_39.gif)
![Cork-clad Ecork Hotel in Portugal by José Carlos Cruz](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2013/12/Ecork-Hotel-in-Evora-by-Jose-Carlos-Cruz-Arquitecto_dezeen_43.gif)
![Cork-clad Ecork Hotel in Portugal by José Carlos Cruz](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2013/12/Ecork-Hotel-in-Evora-by-Jose-Carlos-Cruz-Arquitecto_dezeen_44.gif)
![Cork-clad Ecork Hotel in Portugal by José Carlos Cruz](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2013/12/Ecork-Hotel-in-Evora-by-Jose-Carlos-Cruz-Arquitecto_dezeen_40.gif)