GERMANY

Warm and Otherworldly

Looking like it came from outer space, the Therme Bad Aibling spa in Germany offers earthlings a watery experience in a series of experiential domes. Stuttgartbased Behnisch Architekten, known worldwide as pioneers of sustainable architecture, redefine the European publicbath tradition with greater intimacy and a focus on the senses. Linked by a common roof and spacious Winter Garden, each dome is defined by the experience it proffers: tranquility, beauty, heat/cold, sauna and relaxation. Watery blues and earthy browns against serene white constitute the color palette, while numerous skylights and windows onto the gardens create a soothing balance between the sculpted interior and the natural world beyond.

In Your Realm Whether or not you build a dome in your backyard, you can replicate that serene feel with a keen eye for materials and shapes. Tile is used to unify surfaces (floor, wall, ceiling, tub) through color and texture. Skylights and windows bring light, color and life from the landscape into your realm.

Czech republic

Old World Meets New

Artfully situated within a former Renaissance chapel, the Spa at Mandarin Oriental Prague is a harmonious melding of old and new. Czech architecture firm Dum a Mesto and German spa designer Deckelmann Wellness combine contemporary form, Asian aesthetics and historical overtones for an experience that goes beyond time and space. The soaring lobby sets the tone immediately: A steel-and-glass bridge transects the light-filled, double-height space, while a glass floor gives a peek into the past, revealing the remnants of a 14th-century Gothic church discovered during construction. Treatment rooms sharpen your sense of place with vaulted and arched ceilings and natural light.

In Combination Honoring the history of a building brings added depth and meaning to your home. Exposed brick, existing arches and historical moldings are assets that you can merge with your own direction.

SPAIN

A Toast to Exuberance

Nestled in Spanish wine country, Caudalie’s Vinothérapie Spa sits within the Marqués de Riscal hotel complex, designed by Los Angeles firm Gehry Partners. Swoops and swirls of tinted titanium ribbons give way to a sleek—but not slick—clean-lined interior with broad planes of color, stone and water. The intoxicating spa, designed by French firm Collet & Burger, seduces you with libidinous therapies based on the bounty of the vine. The Vinothérapie pool area literally bathes you in red, from the crimson walls and loungers to the wine-infused water. Stone floors and walls as well as wood accents—both in straight-line slats and as gnarled vines—add an earthy feeling.

Color Your World If you’re in love with a specific color, then be bold and make a statement. Paint and color are the easiest things to change in a decor, and the most fun to experiment with. Take it further by aligning upholstery and flooring with the chosen hue, then rein it in with a complementary material.

CAYMAN ISLANDS

 

Water and Ice

Silver Rain—a La Prairie spa at the Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman—is a truly immersive therapeutic experience. New York City-based design firm D’Aquino Monaco took its cues from the Swiss Alps (home of La Prairie) as well as from the blue waters of the British West Indies. The result is a sparkling display of water in its many manifestations—raining down columns, rushing behind walls, streaming under tiles. The über-elegant lounges drip with sparkling crystal chandeliers, silverleaf ceiling and carved-wood locker walls. Drenched in one-tone detail, the spa’s myriad materials—crushed silk, iridescent glass mosaic, silver beads, river rock and quartzite—work in harmony to convey the wonders of rain.

Immerse Yourself For soothing elegance, concentrate on one color or concept and explore different textures and applications layered monochromatically. Use tile, flooring surfaces and fabrics effectively by mixing sleek satin with plush chenille and matte and gloss paints, or create a monotone room that is anything but one-dimensional.

USA

Recycle, Reuse, Renew

How apt that a historic medical warehouse was transformed into a home for wellness and renewal by San Francisco’s Tsao Design Group. Located in the Presidio national landmark district, SenSpa exploits the building’s existing assets, such as bow-truss ceilings, large open spaces, age-enhanced wood floors and naturally oxidized structural columns. Half-height walls and partitions help create intimate areas throughout the open loft space. The SenSpace is meant to be restful, with a central fire sculpture and approximately 90°F temperature. In contrast, the inner sanctuary is a lively space delineated by low walls made of recycled acrylic panels embedded with real bamboo—physical manifestations of recycling and renewal.

Use What’s Good Before demolishing the old, consider the beauty and sustainability of the past. If your space is new, use recycled wood for flooring and furniture and include salvaged architectural pieces to add character. Renewable and healthy materials have never been easier to find—they look good and let you do good at the same time.

VIETNAM

 

Sea of Tranquility

Separate spa villas perched atop a tranquil lagoon define Nam Hai resort’s spa in central Vietnam, by Paris- and Helsinki-based AW2 Architects and Jakarta interior design firm Jaya Associates. Floor-to-ceiling windows open out to the water, while indigenous dark stone and wood flooring create seamless planes of color. Natural light is carefully modulated through pivoting wooden shutters, along with a modern take on traditional shoji screen panels. Spa villas maintain elegant minimalism in their architecture and are highlighted by carefully chosen accents such as sumptuous silk panels and coverlets, lamps and candles emitting a coppery glow, and a sleek teak enclosure for the soaking tub.

A Room of Your Own Create a private retreat by transforming a corner of an apartment into a place of rest and renewal. Use fabric panels, beads or folding screens to separate the area. Create atmosphere with glowing candles, incense and comforting music.

GERMANY

 

Opposites Attract

Minimalist and sensual, sleek and textural, glittery and elemental—seemingly opposite, these qualities work in serene harmony at the spa at Hotel Q in Berlin. Architecture firm Graft—which has offices in Berlin, Beijing and Los Angeles—minimized the need for extraneous forms by integrating shelves, storage areas and even fountains into the architecture. Heightening the experience in the spa area is the gentle tension between opposites, such as the dark slate of the bathing area and the white-tiled wall. To experience this out-of-the-box thinking, one steps from a slatted-wood walkway into the relaxation room layered with white sand and low-slung loungers.

Minimally Yours To create a truly minimalist—yet functional—space, integrate such elements as closets, shelves and lighting into the architecture itself. For furniture, sleek lines, lack of ornament and monochromatic palettes do the trick. Vary materials and textures—maintain interest by tiling a wall niche or insetting wood in a stone floor.