Spice of Life at Sugar Beach Is a Living Gallery in the Heart of the Pitons

Art wasn’t an afterthought in the design of Spice of Life—the new design-forward sanctuary at Sugar Beach, A Viceroy Resort—it was the foundation. Tucked between St. Lucia’s iconic Pitons, the 35,000-square-foot villa doesn’t just house the museum-quality art collection, the residence treats architecture as both canvas and mediator, balancing contemporary pieces with the lush Caribbean landscape that surrounds. 

Botelho Wood Architects—the team that brought Spice of Life… to life—conceived the structure for peak art immersion from the moment of arrival. A corridor proportioned for Yayoi Kusama’s Infinity Mirror Box sets the tone, while sight lines in the great room frame Jeff Koons‘ Balloon Rabbit against the peaks of the UNESCO-listed Pitons. The Grand Room is anchored by James Turrell’s Iltar, Elliptical Glass, a six-foot oval installation that transitions through a spectrum of colors, installed by technicians from the artist’s California studio. Hallways and transitions serve as discovery zones rather than passageways: Anish Kapoor’s Random Triangle Mirror anchors the stairwell, while works by KAWS and Tom Sachs animate the bedrooms, each with its own curatorial identity.

Furnishings, custom-made in muted tones, step politely into the background so the art can command attention, and the villa’s infinity pool offers mirrored reflections of Pedro Reyes sculptures and the sea beyond. Guests enjoy a private gym, outdoor showers, personalized culinary programs, and full access to Sugar Beach’s 100-acre estate, including the Rainforest Spa, a web of treehouse-style treatment rooms tucked within the jungle canopy, with offerings such as cacao-infused body rituals and volcanic stone massages.

Behind the scenes, sustainability is quietly central. A solar-integrated power system and rainwater harvesting ensure uninterrupted environmental control with minimal footprint, allowing Spice of Life to operate as both gallery and sanctuary. Technology also plays a key role in the villa’s elevated approach to art display: custom-calibrated lighting shifts throughout the day, perfectly illuminating pieces by Hirst, Banksy, and Arsham; climate controls, invisibly embedded in warm stone and locally sourced wood, maintain ideal conditions for preservation without aesthetic disruption.