Natural stone, which has been an indispensable part of human life and architectural history both indoors and outdoors since prehistoric times, continues to exist in the strongest way especially in modern examples of spa buildings due to its durability and sustainability. The choice of materials, which is one of the most important factors that guide the design of SPA spaces, which means the center aiming to gain health and wellness with the healing power of water in general; it mostly favors natural stone, thanks to its nature-friendly structure and the advantages it provides in terms of hygiene and aesthetics. This is exactly why we have dedicated our Showcase pages in this issue to 7 inspiring spa structures shaped with natural stone, designed by contemporary architects in Austria, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Sweden and Sri Lanka…
SPA + HOTEL LA ROMANA
Architectural Design: Isaac Peral Codina
Completion Date: 2012
Area: 2.350 m²
Location: La Romana, Spain
Photos: David Frutos
Natural Stone: Marble
Application Area: Floor coverings, walls, wet areas
Spa + Hotel La Romana is designed by Isaac Peral Codina with the concept of the hammam. A rectangular spa structure is located in Spain. At the spa, located in the city of La Romana which has an oxide-painted estate red colored, aimed to be compatible with the environment and to provide users with a sensory experience the red colored marble is used. Communication with the outdoors in design is only strategically placed openings to explore the landscape marble-clad, creating an attractive interior, a soft light transition is provided from the surfaces to the interior. In the building completely local and natural materials were used such as natural stone, iron and wood that fed the region’s construction traditions. In vernacular design, which is a modern interpretation of architecture, light is an important factor that is used to perceive space.
Artificial lighting was used only at night in the building. Ceiling windows were preferred for natural lighting of all spaces. The applied lattice system filters the light, preventing direct sunlight from entering in the hot months and reducing the cooling need of the building. The natural light flowing through the skylights of the building offers users a vivid sunset experience. Artificial lighting, which creates a fun and relaxing atmosphere by combining with the red tones of marble in the interior, reverses the sunset process.
Unlike other spa facilities, Spa + Hotel La Romana has a highly efficient energy system using bioclimatic techniques that make the building sustainable and economical. The water in the pool and indoor spa is heated with the energy produced by solar panels in the building. The ecological balance of the building is ensured by the maximum use of local materials and resources such as marble, which keeps the interior warm all day long even in winter.
WHITE DIGGER
Architectural Design: Tomas Ghisellini Architects
Completion Date: 2018
Area: 300 m²
Location: Nardò, Italy
Photos: Tomas Ghisellini
Natural Stone: Local natural stone
Application Area: Interior walls
White Digger, designed by Tomas Ghisellini Architects, is located in the center of a famous historical hotel in the Nardò region of Italy. The spa, which was built by carving the body of a natural stone mountain, is half-buried, making the building an irresistible center of attraction and got this name because it makes the users feel like they are in an archaeological excavation. There are sea water pools, a Turkish bath, massage rooms and various treatment rooms with different functions. The fluid sequence of visually and physically communicating spaces in the building, which is designed as a brand new wellness area, is gradually and surprisingly being explored. With the bright white light clouds used in the completely artificially lit volumes, it is aimed for users to feel as if they are piercing a small “house” when they enter, where natural light removes all uncertainties and shadows.
HAMMAM SPA
Architectural Design: Ressano Garcia
Completion Date: 2017
Area: 70 m²
Location: Castro Marim, Portugal
Photos: Francisco Nogueira, Vasco Celio
Natural Stone: Marble
Application Area: Walls, flooring and seating area
Hammam Spa, designed by Ressano Garcia, is designed to offer its users a sensory experience where every detail matters. The interior of the building is arranged in 3 sections as hot, warm and cold according to the temperature. The building reveals a new perception in which local culture is connected not only with the current context but also with old traditions.
While the steam bath in the warm part of the building offers a deep physical experience to the users, the sitting area with blunt lines made of marble in the warm part provides a soft bodily experience. The warm room section, which has an oval geometry in the plan plane of the building, is designed as parabolic in the third dimension, and the spatial experience offered to the users in this section is deepened by the form of the building. The sense of continuity is emphasized in this circular volume with no vertical corners and edges, and the spiritual experience desired to be conveyed to the users is enriched with the regular flow of light and water in the building.
SANTANI WELLNESS RESORT AND SPA
Architectural Design: Thisara Thanapathy Associates
Completion Date: 2016
Area: 4.645 m²
Location: Kandy, Sri Lanka
Photos: Mahesh Mendis, Thilina Wijesiri
Natural Stone: Rubble stone
Application Area: Walls, retaining walls, floor coverings
Designed by Thisara Thanapathy Associates, Santani Wellness Resort and Spa was built in Sri Lanka as a retreat away from today’s consumer lifestyle. The design, which is strongly inspired by the context, aims to be a detail that is in harmony with the landscape, integrating with the spiritual peace offered by the environment instead of dominating nature. The simple form of the building combined with the landscape provides users with a fluid spatial experience.
The building consists of 4 main sections, namely the entrance, spa, restaurant and accommodation volumes. While the volumes placed in accordance with the rhythm of the sloping land provide privacy, the green roofs of the masses offer picturesque views of mountain ranges and fields.
In the project, rubble stones were used as the building material for the foundation, walls, retaining walls and floor of the building, inspired by the rubble used in the old Sri Lankan tea plantations. In the design, the structures are raised above the ground to prevent moisture and heated air from entering. While the open forms allow for cross ventilation that regulates the indoor temperature and humidity in the tropical climate, the ecological green roofs on the terraces keep the interior cool. The design embodies the natural landscape with the use of simple forms, climatic data and rustic natural materials, offering a sensual and peaceful space to its users.
AQUATIO CAVE LUXURY HOTEL & SPA
Architectural Design: Simone Micheli
Completion Date: 2018
Area: 5,000 m²
Location: Matera, Italy
Photos: Jürgen Eheim
Natural Stone: Local natural stone
Application Area: Floor coverings
Aquatio Cave Luxury Hotel & SPA, located in Matera, the historical city of Italy integrated with nature and carved into stone, bears the signature of Simone Micheli. Not as a single mass; The building, designed as a complex including buildings, roads, caves and cisterns, has different sections such as a reception, restaurant, meeting room, wellness center.
The building was designed with the concept of a simple and pure figure that shapes the material, creates spaces, furniture and structure, inspired by the continuous flow of water drops. An ideal sense of continuity is emphasized in the structure that summarizes the meaning of life through its simplicity and the metaphor of the water cycle. The simple, white and curvy structure of the drops guided the design during the figuration of the interiors, the definition of the furniture, and the creation of the unique lighting design.
The design, which structurally follows the ancient caves dug into natural stone, is enriched with modern and functional furniture. White, custom-made, flowing and edgeless furniture that seems to float on natural stone floors supported the design concept. Simone Micheli, who also undersigned the lighting design of the building, used strategically positioned lighting fixtures to create unique lighting effects. The building, in which the concept of “creating emotion” enlivens the entire design process, offers its users a timeless “wellness space”.
ANDRUM
Architectural Design: Blasberg Andreasson Arkitekter,
Johan Sundberg Architecure
Completion Date: 2018
Area: 875 m²
Location: Höör, Sweden
Photos: Peo Olsson
Natural Stone: Local natural stone
Application Area: Floor coverings
Dating back to the 16th century and signed by Blasberg Andreasson Arkitekter and Johan Sundberg Arkitektur, Andrum was “connected to existing structures” during the renovation of the Åkersbergs Stiftsgård Mansion in the 1900s, which now houses functions such as a conference center, chapel, hotel, restaurant and spa. designed. The spa structure, which is located near the park in Sweden and called the “breathing area”, aims to offer its users a quiet and peaceful space where the individual is at the center, inspired by Scandinavian hammam traditions.
Andrum consists of relaxation areas and spa sections that are interconnected with various functions such as hammam, sauna, pool, steam room, yoga area. The terrace on the south side of the building, in contact with the park, establishes an inviting connection with the natural environment. Concrete, natural stone, wood and glass materials used in the design, which is based on sensory impressions such as light, smell and taste, acoustics and touch, are used in the most natural, unprocessed form possible. The Swedish marble-like local natural stone used in the brutalist design with a simple interior gives the design a characteristic feature and a warm feeling, while contrasting with other materials.
