GFA Gruppe für Architektur

Description

A spa on the top floor of a hotel dating from the Art Nouveau period, located in the Zurich district of Seefeld, was technically updated and redesigned. Consistently separating the wet and dry areas and relocating the steam bath freed up the middle of the room so that guests can now experience the full height of the attic loft. All new elements – a wet area with a steam bath, heated benches and reclining tubs – are arranged along the edges of the room to further accentuate the desired spatial effect. The specially designed reclining tubs, inspired by Japanese sunaburo sand baths, are filled with cherry pits, which adapt to the shape of the body while absorbing and storing the heat coming from below. Vibrant shades of red for the flooring and fixtures as well as a network of champagne-coloured and light blue fields above are derived from colour charts in Ernst Haeckel’s 1904 book »Art Forms in Nature«. The carefully chosen hues, brightness levels and surfaces interact to create an all-pervasive atmosphere in the bright and airy room. The newly inserted elements, which are independent of the original structure and grow lighter toward the ceiling, lend the room its scale and coherent impression while overlapping with the existing woodwork in an appealing rhythm. New lamps radiate elegance while doing their part to blend old and new and accentuate the generous proportions of the space.