Called the "world's sexiest" by travel guides in Europe, the aptly named Adam & Eve Hotel in Belek - Antalya, Turkey, is a case study in why minimalism is today's romanticism. Using an apparently simple palette of materials in a range of soft, glossy whites, native architect Eren Talu produces a dazzling range of effects with colored lights, floor-to-ceiling mirrors and hidden sound systems. The interiors reflect and add counterpoint to the adjacent forest and Mediterranean coastline, creating an inner world of fantasy and modern luxury.

Among the most prominent material choices are the Open Cell Ceiling systems by Hunter Douglas, visible everywhere from lounges and restaurants to pools and hallways. The light yet consistently geometrical lattice of the ceiling installations reinforces Talu's planning grid, which is unrelentingly modern and surprisingly rational, given the Garden of Eden theme. The backdrop of the ceiling adds texture while also concealing the lighting fixtures, audio systems and HVAC ducts that lend comfort to Talu's modern fantasy.

While different in many important respects from Talu's earlier Antalya project, the Hillside Su Hotel, both hospitality venues on the so-called "Turkish Riviera" show the architect's predilection for minimalism, white hues and mirrors. The use of dramatic lighting effects also ties together the two works. At the Hillside Su, guests arrive under giant disco balls, but the Adam & Eve Hotel features a more gracious and roomy entrance lobby - a dazzling atrium of colored light and reflections. Centering on a large bar, the 10,000-square-meter central space features white sitting beds and a twinkling ceiling of hand-laid glass mosaic. (Each tile, it should be noted, is shaped as a disco ball.) The atrium lobby serves as the heart of the public zones, with access to numerous lounges and bars, nine restaurants and eight luxury shops.

In other spaces, however, Talu's more refined and simple gestures - combined with the dramatic scale of the large