Swiss architect Mario Botta was already one of the defining voices of 20th-century architecture by the time he received his first commission for a spa. The result—the Bergoase Spa at the Tschuggen Grand Hotel, located on the edge of a breathtaking craggy slope in mountainous Arosa, Switzerland—is among his most powerful creations to date. Today, Botta’s at work on another spa, the wellness center at the Hotel Eden Roc in Ascona, Switzerland, which promises to be a stunning new composition that transcends the conventions of resort design. With Eden Roc, he may even redefine his own portfolio.
It’s usually easy to spot Botta’s signature style. Though his use of materials is wide and varied, his buildings are most often made of brick and stone and dominate their landscapes with a proud, monumental stance. Their eye-catching power comes from Botta’s passion for expanding simple geometric shapes—squares, circles and rectangles—into supersized forms. His design for the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, completed in 1994, is one of the best examples. There, three massive layers of red-brick boxes rise up and away from the street, punctuated by an oversized white and black cylinder ending in an angled face that resembles a sundial from some long-forgotten civilization. 

However, for the Bergoase Spa, Botta softened his style considerably. Inspired by the snowy peaks and evergreens of the site, he designed a building that appears to tunnel itself into the side of the mountain. He topped the structure with ethereal glass skylights that curl up like cool snowdrifts. When it opened in December 2006, the spa immediately received international attention, and visitors were quick to understand why—with sunlight pulled deep inside to illuminate pools defined by snaking walls of granite, it delivered a near-spiritual experience. “When designing spas, I aim to achieve a quality of space that inspires emotions in people’s spirits,” explains Botta. In other words, the Bergoase is not just a place you go to relax—it’s a place you go to be inspired. Of course, the 54,000-square-foot facility, which is spread over four storeys, also speaks to those who simply want to kick back with all the amenities one would expect, including

“When designing spas, I aim to achieve a quality of space that inspires emotions in people’s spirits.”

 saunas, fireplace-equipped relaxation zones and a contemporary restaurant.
Building a destination spa is no easy feat, but Botta is no stranger to designing spiritual spaces. Born in 1943 in the Ticino region of Switzerland, Botta studied at the University Institute of Architecture of Venice, during which time he also worked with architectural deities Le Corbusier and Louis Kahn. Soon after graduation in 1969, he set up his solo practice in Lugano, Switzerland. Since then, he has turned out a string of critically acclaimed projects in his native Ticino, like the Chapel of St. Mary of the Angels, which includes an exterior walkway that offers sublime views of the jagged landscape, while also building up an international portfolio that reaches as far as California, South Korea and France, where he completed the Cathedral of the Resurrection in Évry.
After global forays, Botta has come back home to design the wellness center at Hotel Eden Roc. “The design for the Eden Roc is completely different [from the Bergoase] because the context the spa has to interact with is different,” says Botta. Rather than a snowcapped peak, the Eden Roc’s landscape is defined by a crystal-clear lake, palm trees and lush vegetation. “The main idea of this resort is a central glassed ‘water heart’ that faces the sky, with the functions organized around it,” says Botta. With walls of red marble and a glazed cupola resembling the top of a Mediterranean tree, this latest spa—set for completion in late 2008—might just encourage people to contemplate the human heart.