Grand Villa Argentina Building in Dubrovnik
Hotel Argentina was originally built in 1913 as a private villa and was converted into a luxury hotel in the 1950s. Through subsequent development of the complex, which included Villa Šeherezada, Villa Orsula, and Villa Glavić, the present-day ensemble of Grand Villa Argentina was formed. Today, the complex comprises five buildings, of which Villa Argentina, Hotel Argentina, and Villa Orsula are currently undergoing reconstruction. Its immediate proximity to the historic core of Dubrovnik and open views toward the island of Lokrum give it exceptional value. The new hotel structure is designed to connect the existing villas and the hotel, creating a cohesive architectural composition designed by the architects of Studio 3LHD.
Description and geotechnical conditions of the site
Geotechnical investigation and testing identified a three-layer soil profile that changes with depth. The surface layer consists of fill material. Beneath it lies a zone of highly weathered Cretaceous carbonates, an intensely fractured and degraded rock mass with very poor geomechanical properties, low RQD values, and infilled discontinuities. The deepest layer consists of moderately to weakly weathered Cretaceous carbonates, with a blocky structure and significantly better mechanical characteristics, offering greater stability and improved rock mass quality. Transitional zones, particularly the contact between the fill and carbonate bedrock, represented critical areas for deformation and foundation design. Overall, the terrain shows pronounced heterogeneity, but also an improvement in geotechnical properties with depth.
Description of the planned development
The Hotel Argentina was constructed as a hospitality and tourism facility with a building height of P+7, following the existing spatial envelope.
The Grand Villa Argentina building consists of Hotel Argentina, formed in two volumes – a lower volume of P+2 and an upper volume of 3+7 floors – as well as Villa Argentina with a total height of 2+7 floors, and Villa Orsula. The external envelope of Villa Argentina has been preserved (the existing exterior walls were retained), while other parts of the structure were demolished due to structural deterioration and to improve functional usability. The new building was constructed within the same, i.e., permitted, building footprint.
On the Grand Villa Argentina project, we carried out geotechnical investigation and testing and prepared the geotechnical report. Also, we made the conceptual and detailed geotechnical design for the hotel and villa, the execution design, and the as-built documentation. We also designed all surrounding retaining structures and prepared the related execution documentation, while providing ongoing design supervision throughout the construction works, which are still in progress.
Technical solution for excavation support and foundation soil preparation
For the open pit protection of Hotel Argentina, the design envisaged a layered and adaptable shoring system that varies depending on excavation depth and ground conditions. The works included a combination of temporary and permanent solutions – ranging from soil nailing and shotcrete to soldier pile walls, anchors, and reinforced concrete retaining structures.
In shallower zones, excavations were stabilized using shotcrete reinforcement combined with ground anchoring. In deeper sections, soldier pile retaining walls with capping beams were constructed, supplemented by anchors of varying lengths, adjusted to the local stability of both the rock mass and overburden soils. Special attention was given to groundwater control, with drainage elements installed to reduce hydrostatic pressure behind structural systems.
Along the perimeter of the excavation, reinforced concrete retaining walls of varying heights were executed as permanent structures, protecting the plateau beneath the villa. These walls were clad in stone facing to ensure visual integration with the surrounding environment. Behind all retaining structures, a drainage and backfill layer of crushed stone material was installed to provide additional stability.
Particular attention was given to preserving the authentic atmosphere of the site, with a portion of the existing vegetation retained and integrated into the new design. Cypresses and Aleppo pines naturally present on the site were not removed, but incorporated into the spatial concept and construction process.
Accordingly, both the technical solutions and the organization of the excavation were adapted to actual site conditions to minimize the impact on existing greenery. The project was therefore developed as a balance between complex geotechnical interventions and the preservation of the Mediterranean landscape character that defines the location.
Changes during the construction and adaptation of the design solutions
The open pit was divided into several zones, each with its own “character” – in some areas soldier pile walls and anchors were predominant, in others shotcrete and drainage elements, and in some cases, a combination of all systems. The support system was therefore not uniform, but layered and adapted to the actual soil stability, excavation depth, and local variations in the rock mass.
Continuous monitoring of the excavation’s behaviour was particularly important. Movements and deformations were not merely assumed but measured in real time using geodetic points, inclinometers, and clinometers. These data directly determined the next steps on site: where additional anchoring was required, where protection needed extension, or where the system was already sufficiently stable.
The foundation design of the structure was also repeatedly adjusted to the actual conditions of the rock substrate, including local ground improvements and construction corrections to ensure a reliable bearing layer for the structure.
This project clearly demonstrates that geotechnical engineering in practice is not a “fixed drawing,” but a process that responds to site conditions. This continuous communication between designers and contractors was crucial for the safe and controlled execution of a highly complex excavation under very demanding site conditions.
Conclusion
This is an extremely complex and highly coordinated design process in which all disciplines were involved simultaneously and in continuous mutual collaboration. Geotechnical, structural, architectural, as well as electrical and mechanical engineering were carried out in parallel, with constant data exchange and real-time coordination of solutions.
Given the specific site conditions and the demanding insertion of a new volume into an existing complex, the project was not linear but rather an iterative process in which solutions were continuously adapted to actual site conditions, geotechnical parameters, and structural constraints. A particular challenge was the need to align architectural requirements with the structural system, foundation soil conditions, and building services solutions, whereby changes in one discipline had a direct impact on the others.
In practice, this meant daily coordination between design teams, where decisions were made jointly and solutions were rapidly adjusted to ensure constructability, structural stability, and preservation of the architectural concept. This approach enabled the optimization of solutions in accordance with site conditions, as well as a high level of integration of all systems within a highly complex hotel development.
Read more: Open pit protection design
