On a recent visit to the Post Ranch Inn—a sublime resort perched 1,200 feet above the Pacific Ocean in Big Sur, California—I was lucky enough to experience sunshine, fog, and a much-needed rainstorm, all in a short period of time. Anywhere else, the latter two weather reports might have dampened the experience, but there, the unique topography and design morphed beautifully in the changing conditions.
Comprising numerous structures completed by architect G. K. “Mickey” Muennig in 1992 (with later expansions by Vladmir Frank), the inn is a masterpiece of California rustic chic. Made with simple materials—wood, stone, steel, and glass—the buildings blend into the landscape while offering unparalleled views. Throughout the property, design elements, from gently curved walls that mimic the contour of a nearby mountain to skylights perfectly placed to catch the rising sun, pay tribute to the natural surroundings.
Join me on a stroll through a California dreamscape.
Stone artifacts and sculptures at the entry drive to the Post Ranch Inn in Big Sur, California. Opened in 1992, the resort occupies 100 acres on what was once a 1,500-acre working ranch, founded by William Brainard Post in the mid-1800s.
One of architect Mickey Muennig’s structures facing the mountain. The forms echo the shape of the landscape.
The Cliff Houses overlooking the ocean have green roofs that blend into the scenery.
A series of bridges and pathways leads to the mountainside Tree Houses.
The Tree Houses, built on stilts to protect the land, have views of the Santa Lucia mountains.
Butt-jointed-glass windows frame views of the forest and mountains.
Detail of butt-jointed glass, steel wall panels, wooden stilts, and wood cladding—all part of the unique vocabulary of the site.
The curved wall of a Mountain House.
Interior view of a Mountain House, with butt-jointed glass allowing the integration of exterior and interior.
A Mountain House’s free-form hot tub.
View from the upper part of the property to the Post Ranch Inn’s pool in the distance.
The Post Ranch Inn’s dining area appears to be cantilevered over the Pacific.
Edge of the infinity pool outside the main dining facility.
The opening in the stone surround creates the illusion that the water in the pool joins with the water of the ocean.
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