14 Jan 2019
DKLEVY to create medieval fantasy resort in Tennessee
BY Andrew Manns
American architecture studio DKLEVY have announced plans to design Ancient Lore Village at Boyd's Hollow – a 40-acre resort inspired by the high fantasy fiction of businessman Tom Boyd.
The attraction, which will open in South Knoxville in the foothills of Tennessee's Smoky Mountains, will feature 150 dwellings and treehouses; a 1000-person-capacity amphitheatre; a 150-seat restaurant; and several miles of walking trails.
According to Boyd – who is developing the US$40m (€34.5m, £31.1m) project – the resort will seek to imitate what he described as an "ancient age look", eschewing in-room televisions and motor-driven vehicles in order to facilitate a greater sense of community.
Elaborating on the design concept, which appears to simulate the earth-sheltering and dry-stone building styles of medieval Europe, Daniel Levy, principal of DKLEVY told CLAD that the goal of the village is "to encourage organic interactions" around interconnected pathways, taverns, campfires, and other social gathering points.
"The dwellings," he added, "are designed to have sustainable features and – unlike the tree houses – are designed to be sunk into the ground to take advantage of the insulation properties of the soil.
"They will also appear as though they have been carved out of the hillside."
Set to launch in 2020, Ancient Lore Village is projected to attract an estimated 200,000 visitors annually.
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