Lake Baikal’s New Welcome Center Merges Raw Nature with Refined Design

Rising from the pristine shores of Lake Baikal — the world’s deepest freshwater lake and a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site — the AMAR Tourist and Recreational Complex is set to become an extraordinary new destination where nature’s raw beauty meets Siberian heritage. At the heart of this sprawling 280-hectare site, Babayants Architects have unveiled the interior design of the Welcome Center, a gateway that promises not just arrival but immersion.

Founded by Lia and Artem Babayants, the bureau’s design journey began with a pilgrimage of sorts to Lake Baikal itself — a place steeped in spiritual significance and untouched wilderness. The architects describe their visit as stepping into “a different world — one filled with strength, tranquillity, and the untouched beauty of nature.” This experience profoundly shaped their vision. The interior is not a mere shelter but a spatial narrative that captures the lake’s fluid states, the surrounding dunes, and the towering trees whose roots anchor the landscape.

Central to the design is the symbolism of the tree — a motif borrowed from the local terrain, where ancient forests guard the horizon. The layout mimics the growth rings of a trunk, spiralling visitors inward, while a sculptural installation — a tree emerging from a water feature — rises like a lantern bathed in natural light. This poetic focal point invites guests to contemplate renewal and the deep connection between earth and water, life and legend.

The colour palette echoes the natural phenomena unique to Baikal: warm sandy tones reminiscent of golden dunes meet the icy clarity of glass, a nod to the lake’s frozen winter surface. Glass benches scattered throughout conjure the translucent shimmer of ice, while smooth, sand-coloured plaster on walls and ceilings flows into cool stone flooring beneath, mirroring the duality of warmth and chill that defines the region’s climate.

Every detail is considered. Custom-designed furniture by Babayants Architects punctuates the space with effortless elegance — modular sofas and armchairs offer relaxed sophistication, their curves and folds recalling the fluidity of water. The Wouri coffee tables, with their floating metallic bases, reflect ice’s reflective surface, topped with vibrant objects that capture droplets frozen mid-motion, blending art and nature in subtle harmony.

More than a building, the Welcome Center is conceived as a continuation of the landscape itself — a seamless transition between indoors and out, where visitors are not just observers but participants in Baikal’s story. The lounge’s panoramic glazing stretches wide to frame the surrounding hills, fostering a dialogue between architecture and environment.

AMAR’s Welcome Center is a masterclass in understated luxury, where symbolism and spatial plasticity combine to create a sensory rhythm of calm and contemplation. In a remote region renowned for its spiritual heritage and natural grandeur, Babayants Architects have delivered a space that honours tradition while inviting modern discovery — a sanctuary that is as much about feeling as it is about seeing.

For those seeking an experience that transcends the ordinary, AMAR offers a rare opportunity: to connect deeply with one of the planet’s most mystical landscapes through design that speaks softly but profoundly.