It's only natural: new spa projects

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It's only natural: new spa projects

Naked bodies call for natural materials, as an international survey of the latest spa projects demonstrates.

By Anarchitect, AvroKO, Tomas Ghisellini Architects and

July 2, 2019 | 10:00 pm CUT

Tomas Ghisellini Architects’ White Digger spa in southern Italy features a swimming pool carved into mountain rock. Photo: Tomas Ghisellini

The rising popularity of wellness means that spas are no longer the preserve of old age pensioners. Instead, the new spas cater to a wide range of tastes – from glamorous jet-setters to families – always with the goal of making their guests feel at ease and helping them to relax and unwind.

Al Faya Lodge by ANARCHITECT is a boutique spa resort in Sharjah, UAE. Located well away from the busy capital city of the eponymous emirate, the lodge provides an intimate desert getaway. The complex consists of three, low-slung pavilions containing lodgings, a restaurant and a saltwater spa. A restrained range of materials, including pale stone, concrete, hardwood and weathered steel is used throughout the project, while patios, opening screens and balconies provide a sense of shelter in the vast desert landscape.

ANARCHITECT's Al Faya Lodge spa (Sharjah, UAE) – with its tactile surfaces and intimate spaces overlooking the sprawling landscape – is a sublime, man-made oasis in the Arabian desert. Photos: Fernando Guerra

In South Tyrol, Italy, architect Walter Angonese added a spa pavilion and a swimming pool to the singular, mid-century Seehotel Ambach, which overlooks the alpine Lake Caldaro. Instead of trying to imitate the original hotel buildings' unique, organic architecture, Angonese has designed the adjacent Badehaus Seehotel Ambach as a standalone, angular garden pavilion. A glazed perimeter allows for views of the lake and the mountain, while internal pods provide spa facilities, such as a sauna, a rainshower and open-air jacuzzi.

In South Tyrol, Italy, the Badehaus Seehotel Ambach by Walter Angonese shows how architects can design a contemporary spa facility within the grounds of a historic resort. Photos: Paolo Riolzi

White Digger, designed by Tomas Ghisellini Architects, is a new spa which adjoins the Riviera Grand Hotel in Nardò, southern Italy. Excavated within the resort's light-coloured cliffs, the length of the rock face has been left exposed, forming a rough backdrop to the spa's clean lines and sophisticated palette of white, grey and black tiles. Despite its simple layout, the White Digger contains state-of-the-art wellness facilities, including a seawater pool, hydromassage and shower rooms.

Rather than looking out, Thomas Ghisellini Architects' White Digger spa in southern Italy is a quiet, introverted space for relaxation and healing. Photos: Tomas Ghisellini

Northern California's Calistoga Motor Lodge & Spa, designed by New York-based outfit AvroKO, combines the nostalgic family-style accommodation of a motor lodge with friendly spa facilities. White, grey and various shades of blue permeate the scheme throughout, while colourful contemporary furnishings mix with classic, mid-century pieces within the lodgings. The spa retains a more Victorian albeit playful touch – think freestanding baths with lions' feet and traditionally moulded brassware and showerheads.

At the Calistoga Motor Lodge & Spa in Northern California, AvroKO provides a contemporary twist on the motor lodge – a much loved American institution – without compromising either tradition or thoughtful design. Photos: Aubrie Pick

It's only natural: new spa projects

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