Despite the difficulties, Goy was mesmerised by the beauty that she encountered. “During the trip, we were serenaded by the giant mountains, the milky rivers of Dudh Koshi and walked across the Hillary Suspension Bridges, hung at an incredible height. Arriving at the hotel and seeing the 360-degree view of the Himalayas and Mount Everest for the very first time was definitely a humbling experience. There is something about the scale of nature compared to oneself that, strangely, gave me a feeling of surrender,” Goy described.
Due to the extreme topography, building materials for the original hotel were carried up by porters or in exceptional cases, flown in by helicopter. For instance, 6,000 porters hauled up the 450 cubic metres of timber used to build the hotel. “I knew that from a design point of view, we needed to replace only what was necessary and work with what was available locally,” said Goy, after understanding the logistical challenges.
Her design will pay homage to the Sherpa culture, referencing the materials of daily objects such as woven baskets, Sherpa walking sticks, colourful Pangden aprons, and Sherpa beads. “Other common products like handmade Lotka paper, Allo textiles (made from nettle) and Dolpo yak wool blankets will also be incorporated, while the stone walls in the trekkers’ rooms will be applied with mud in the way that Sherpas do to insulate their houses,” Goy explained.
