It is well known that architecture is growing within the wellness field. Architects play with spaces to have a positive impact on the people coexisting in them and to offer a holistic approach through all the senses.
Color, illumination, temperature, humidity, texture, and even scent control are no longer seen as separate things and they have become a priority for design. It is not just about the space itself, but rather that people can have a harmonious and relaxing experience through it.
Five spas that stand out for their design
The Golden Door in San Marcos, California offers a comprehensive experience and over 80 courses to care for the mind and the body across 48 kilometers of private roads to be traveled outdoors, a farm-to-table themed restaurant, and an extensive list of skin, body, and hair treatments.
The fact that the place works under an eastern inspiration can be seen from the golden entrance, spanning across buildings and gardens. Roads and bridges surrounded by nature run along the resort with a horizontal and wooden architecture. Water mirrors, small streams, rocky areas, and colored trees can be found among the paths, inspiring relaxing walks. There is also a special area with fruit trees and an orchard to guarantee that the food at the table comes from the farm.
ESPA (at Resort World, Singapore) is located in a 10,000 square meter area. Each room has a calming scent through wide, colorful spaces with shapes that encourage balance and a peaceful mind. With the purpose of having nature immersion, amenities like sauna or the yoga studio feature glass walls that show views of the jungle. The vitality pool is found outdoors.
Therapies carried out using natural ingredients go hand in hand with the dense vegetation around, creating an oasis amidst the jungle. Here, the first Turkish hammam in Singapore opened and, following this line, they have continued to innovate through spaces created to revitalize guests.
An added value to treatments is the sleeping area, equipped with 18 pods featuring a built-in sound system where relaxing music and illumination can be customized.
The purpose behind Pure Spa in Danang, Vietnam is to combine the country’s culture with modern luxury, reason why architecture mixes the traditional bamboo with a contemporary style that plays with geometric shapes and bold colors. Its design has earned multiple awards, like the second place in the Landscape category in the International Baku Architecture Awards in 2015, Building of the Year in the 2015 Ashui Awards, and the A+ Award 2016 by Architizer.com under the Hospitality-Health Care and Wellness Project, among others.
Its concept offers a wall-free lifestyle, which can be seen in its cabins that close with large windows or in its outdoor spaces for practicing yoga or meditation on platforms above the swimming pools. Even the inner relaxation area features a large water mirror between the walls and couches to accentuate the space.
It is pioneer in setting up comfort tourism in Vietnam, since the whole place works under a holistic philosophy, starting with the shape of the place, representing a limitless sanctuary that can be appreciated in its wide esplanades, infinity pools, and round buildings.
Fasano can be found in Punta del Este, Uruguay, created by Brazilian architect Isay Weinfeld. This space seeks to interact in a natural way with the environment through a simple, clean, luminous, and wide space. In his career of over 40 years, Weinfeld has positioned himself as one of Brazil’s contemporary architects. An example of his work is the 360º Building in São Paulo.
This project has the architect’s original essence, which plays with the integration of the interior and exterior, through windows. The view of the Maldonado River is protagonist in the property, located in a 490-hectare land. A heated pool, saunas, steam room, fitness center, and six massage cabins can be found inside.
The roofed swimming pool features the infinity pool concept, without the need of being outside; it is surrounded by a crystal box giving the feeling of swimming over the field. Wood with different finishes is combined with glass, concrete, and white hues to create the minimalist style decoration.
Located among mountains, rocks, and canyons, the Aman Spa in Amangiri, Utah is inspired by its unique natural surroundings and the cultures that have lived in the area. It particularly seeks to represent Navajo traditions through the four elements: “earth, wind, fire, and water”, both in its treatments and its design.
Therapy rooms, wellness halls, terraces, and an outdoor pool are distributed across 2,322 square meters. Even though most spaces are roofed, they have large windows or terraces to integrate with the natural environment. The temperature-controlled outdoor pool is surrounded by desert, and even the seats located around it integrate with the surrounding rocks.
Another iconic space in this place is the yoga pavilion, whose windows become sliding doors to be able to exchange indoor and outdoor sessions, like the experience of yoga under the moonlight.
