Spa function

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The underwater spa at Huvefan Fushi in the Maldives was designed by British designer Richard Hywel Evans.

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Longleat Aquameditation by Schletterer Wellness and Spa Design.

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Heated meditation room by Schletterer.

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Steam baths by Beautyleaders, Abu Dhabi.

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Vibrant mosaics in a Beautyleaders steam bath.

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Steam bath by Beautyleaders.

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The striking Assawan Spa and Health Club at the Burj Al Arab.

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The Huvefan Fushi Spa is part of the Per Aquum Spa Collection, who is opening Desert Palm Spa in Dubai in August.

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In the next four years, Dubai will have 77 hotels more than it has today (with a total of 26,150 rooms), each one with its own top quality spa. Dubai is expected to become one of the world's leading destinations by the year 2015, with more than 200 hotels (each one with a spa of its own). The number of hotels and spas in Qatar will increase from 12 to 51 between now and 2010 (a growth of 325%)." These staggering statistics were cited by Anni Hood, group director, Jumeirah International earlier in the year at the Monaco Spa Event. This number of competing spas in the region demands that interior designers become more inventive and innovative in their spa designs. This fact coupled with the higher expectations of spa visitors creates quite a challenge.

The indisputable rise in the popularity of spas and the concept of wellness is due to a number of factors: An ageing population desiring an extended youth; an increase in disposable incomes and the need to take time out from busy lives for some rest and relaxation.

Kerrie Black, brand manager, Sanipex explains: "People are becoming much more discriminating with how they choose a spa, and what they expect from a spa. Ten years ago, the demographic was mostly women with a high disposable income, who expected standard treatments such as a massage or facial. Today, this spectrum has broadened to include men, and the age group and demographics are more varied. The spas themselves are now offering a much larger choice of treatments, often with a cultural theme." Consequently the design details need to be just as impressive as the range of treatments on offer.

Spa design choices

Europe's spa traditions are grounded in thermal, hydrotherapy and thalassotherapy baths and installations, many of which reflect the Art Nouveau style that encapsulated the Modernist movement at the beginning of the twentieth century.

Susie Ellis, president, Spa Finder Inc. New York, tells of how in North America, the tendency is to build very big themed structures, which draws inspiration from other traditions. "For example the famous Golden Door in New York was built like a Japanese onsen, but there are also spas inspired by the Turkish hammam and the latest trend today is moving towards designs inspired by Asia in general, using tatamis, wood and bamboo."

Robert D. Henry is one of the few architects in the world who specialises in designing spas. His career as a spa designer started twelve years ago with the construction of the De Pasquale Day Spa in New Jersey and then the Spa at the Mar-A-Lago Club, in Palm Beach, Florida, one of the world's most exclusive private clubs and owned by Donald Trump. He tries to create experimental spaces that stimulate all five senses, drawing inspiration from environmental art. "You can also listen to space: it takes great humility and sensitivity, characteristics that are more feminine than masculine and are not very common among architects" he says. "Sensuality is crucial to designing spas in particular. The only things that can make a spa experience unique are the uniqueness of the cultural, historical and natural context where the spa is located, its exclusive design and the treatments it offers." Fine advice, but with the prospect of one city hosting in the region of 400 plus spas, exploiting the uniqueness of the locale is not really feasible.

A company that is faced with this challenge is Schletterer Wellness & Spa Design, who has planned and partly realised 1,500 spas (with approx. 2,000,000m²) internationally and knows the challenges of ensuring touches of individualism in each. The company is currently designing a number of spas in Dubai including the Mövenpick Resort Oceana Palm Jumeirah. Gerald Huber, director international project development explains that the key to good spa design lies in never forgetting it is a business first and foremost: "The emphasis is the visionary and profitable functionality-flow as well as outstanding interior design solutions." On his designs in Dubai, Huber says: "One is very oceanic with a focus on water, thalasso and salt, another one has a strong outdoor-Asian touch with a lot of plants and blossoms, another one has a strong sport-medical emphasis and a light-weight modern design."

Colours and materials

Undoubtedly Oriental or Asian-inspired designs have influenced the colours and materials traditionally chosen in spas in the past, but now there seems to be a juxtaposition between nature-inspired spas and those that utilise the very latest advances in technology and materials.

Carol Djandji, Djandji Interior Design says: "The materials and fabrics available on the market today offer a number of non-porous materials allowing a more hygienic ambiance. Stones, marbles and granites are being caught-up by materials such as ‘Corian®' and ‘himax' (acrylic based resins). Certain new resins offer a totally anti-bacterial, anti-fungicide surface - ideal for the humid atmosphere of a spa. The lighting is also a very important factor. The industry is coming up with some very innovative lighting solutions such as LEDS and tri-chromatic neon. These innovative lighting solutions allow chromatherapy to be fully integrated in the designing of spas."

Colours are traditionally subtle and muted with brighter highlights used to accent specific areas and Black, Sanipex, maintains that this is still the case: "The eyes should be able to relax along with the body and mind. Chromotherapy is increasingly being incorporated into steam and sauna areas, where the user can choose their colour of light to suit their mood, or to encourage relaxation." In terms of materials she says: "The past trend for acrylic panelling is now being replaced by the return to natural materials such as wood, stone, and marble, particularly in the hammam areas. This is of course a reminder of the ancient origins of the spa concept."

Similarly, Sühl Gunnar, interior designer, Deckelmann Wellness believes that dark wood is still leading the popularity stakes: "Dark natural stones, glass mosaics and porcelain stoneware have had a renaissance as well. Dark brown and black are very popular."

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