In one of the world’s most extraordinary and extreme landscapes, the Uyuni Salt Flats in Bolivia, the Explora Refuges designed by Max Núñez Arquitectos embody a strategy of architectural suspension that engages with the environment through minimal intrusion and deliberate restraint, elevated on metallic stilts that avoid direct contact with the saline crust and prevent long-term damage to the fragile ecosystem, these dark, elongated volumes assert a delicate presence over the endless white expanse, forming a tension between geometry and nature, the design responds rigorously to solar radiation, high altitudes, and saline corrosion, using dark metal cladding and passive ventilation systems to modulate interior comfort, a particularly striking instance of this approach is the linear configuration of the shelters, which maximizes panoramic views while shielding occupants from prevailing winds, this lightweight tectonic language, more akin to infrastructural design than traditional architecture, reflects a conceptual shift toward reversible occupation, in which architecture becomes temporary, respectful, and aware of its environmental footprint, elevated like vessels above a sea of salt, the buildings capture light through discreet openings and cast elongated shadows that emphasize their ephemeral condition, the curved overhangs of the roofs are not ornamental but serve as thermal buffers that mitigate direct sun exposure and reduce internal heat gain, ultimately, the Explora Refuges redefine the act of inhabiting the Altiplano as one of contemplation rather than conquest, a form of ethical construction where every element—material, structure, and orientation—is attuned to ecological sensitivity and visual harmony, resisting spectacle in favor of subtle integration.
