The Valley: GIMS and Horizon Morocco Craft a Marrakech Address for Design Literate Buyers
Written by Will Jones
A 50-villa project on the Route de l'Ourika fuses mid-century rigour with Moroccan craft. Presentation January 26.
Marrakech has never lacked for real estate ambition. But between the cookie cutter developments and the overwrought neo-Moorish fantasies, finding a project with genuine architectural point of view remains a challenge. Enter The Valley – Private Residences, the second collaboration between musician GIMS and Moroccan developer Horizon Morocco, which makes its public debut on January 26 at the city's Meydene venue.
The location alone signals intent. Fifteen minutes south of the Hivernage district, the Route de l'Ourika sits at a geographic crossroads: Atlas Mountains to the east, Agafay desert to the west, the lush Ourika Valley beyond. GIMS, who has made Morocco his home, spotted the potential immediately. "The Route de l'Ourika is like Palm Springs," he says. "The mountains, the gateway to the desert, the valley, Morocco's contemporary modernism, and that eternal vacation feeling."
The Design Proposition
Working with YBA Architectes under the artistic direction of GIMS and Yacine Ghafour of Horizon Morocco, The Valley takes its cues from California's Case Study Houses programme—that postwar experiment in democratic modernism that gave us some of the twentieth century's most influential residential architecture. The vocabulary is familiar: horizontal lines, generous glazing, interiors that extend into the landscape.What prevents pastiche is the local adaptation. Claustra screens—geometric latticework with deep roots in Moroccan building tradition—temper the southern light. The palette warms: whites yield to terracotta and ochre. Floors feature handcrafted local terrazzo. Rooftop terraces, indispensable to Moroccan domestic life, top each villa. A concierge service rounds out the offer.
The communal spaces centre on a 100-metre reflecting pool lined with period appropriate loungers and parasols. Of the 50 villas, 24 claim waterfront positions. Two pavilions flank the water: one containing restaurant, bar and workspaces; the other dedicated to spa, fitness and yoga facilities.
Lessons from the First Act
The Valley builds on Sunset Village – Private Residences, the partners' 2024 debut on the same road. That project pursued a softer aesthetic—curved façades inscribed into the terrain, meticulous brushed-steel detailing across every fixture from taps to window profiles—anchored by a swimmable lagoon with sandy beach, rooftop paddle court in striking turquoise, and full-service clubhouse with hammam, sauna and co-working facilities.The market responded decisively. Over 85 per cent of the 117 villas sold, drawing international footballers, artists from France and the Middle East, and business figures from multiple continents. Remaining inventory now starts at €900,000, reaching €1.5 million. A new "Prime" phase, offering the most elevated specifications yet from €1 million, opens for sale at the January 26 event.
"I loved the creative challenge of understanding what worked at Sunset Village and reinterpreting it differently for The Valley," GIMS notes.
The Numbers
The Valley's 50 villas are priced between €490,000 and €750,000—a calibrated decision to extend the project's reach without compromising on design standards. Delivery is scheduled for mid-2028.
The Takeaway
For buyers tired of choosing between bland international luxury and theatrical local pastiche, The Valley proposes a third way: rigorous modernism with regional intelligence. That an artist known for commanding global stages should prove equally fluent in the language of architecture feels less surprising than inevitable—creative vision, after all, transcends medium.It's the kind of project that suggests Marrakech's residential market may finally be growing up. And for those paying attention, now might be the moment to take note.
Invitations to the January 26 presentation can be requested at horizonmorocco.com.
