Paraiso 354, an ultra-high-end luxury residence set like a jewel in the tropical jungle of Peninsula Papagayo in Guanacaste, Costa Rica, is an ambitious project by Sarco Architects. It embraces an outdoor lifestyle concept combined with elegant contemporary interiors, exquisite materials and fine finishes, and is designed to maintain a close relationship with the surrounding natural environment while delivering uncompromising luxury in every detail. Composed of four juxtaposed volumes oriented according to the specific functions of each space, the residence is organised around a large central courtyard overlooking the ocean, which not only serves as a cool and comfortable living area complete with infinity pool but also ensures optimal interior ventilation. Favoured by its natural elevated position, Paraiso 354 has a minimalistic envelope with fully glazed walls that make the most of the splendid views provided by the location, while the interiors are divided into a spacious living room, a kitchen and six bedrooms with luxurious, refined furnishings and finishes that create an intimate and cosy atmosphere. The material choices include a preference for Guanacaste wood with its distinctive natural grain, which the architects chose for the furnishings and a number of architectural details to create a beautiful contrast with the elegant cool colour scheme chosen for the floors and walls. This contrast, enhanced by the use of porcelain stoneware tiles by Mirage in both the interiors and a portion of the exteriors, reflects the double personality of Paraiso 354 – minimalist yet tropical. The floors on the main level of the home are dominated by the elegant grey tones of the Silverlake Moritz collection, a porcelain tile inspired by quartzite stone in elegant shades that faithfully reproduce the shifting hues of the original material. The large-size tiles extend seamlessly right up to the edge of the pool and temper the intensity of the afternoon sunlight. They also create an elegant visual effect on the lower level, where they were chosen in a lighter shade. The lines of the main façade are enhanced by inserts, again from the Silverlake collection but in this case in the Moro colour version, the intense blacks bringing a distinctly personal touch to the home’s architecture. The bathrooms are dominated by the sophisticated textures of the Cosmopolitan Mystic Grey collection, whose deep, detailed surfaces and random veining reproduce the glamour and opulence of the finest marble. In these spaces, they again alternate with the elegant greys of Silverlake Moritz and the pure white of the Jewels collection, another marble-effect porcelain from the Mirage range used here in the colour Extra White.
