Little Spa in the Big Woods

Bradley Lincoln -- Interior Design, 2/1/2007 12:00:00 AM

In Greek mythology, Daedalus crafted an elaborate labyrinth under King Minos's palace to house the half-man, half-bull Minotaur borne by the bewitched Queen Pasiphaë. In contemporary Green Lake, Wisconsin, Judith Testani of the Testani Design Troupe applied a similar concept in realizing a lulu of a labyrinth at Evensong Spa—a full-service facility on a 38-acre shoreline property shared by the historic Heidel House Resort.

Evensong's maze—more literally the elaborate flooring of a round circulation hub at the center of the 15,000-square-foot building by CMD Architects—is ironically intended as a way to find oneself, providing a self-guided path as one sloughs off the slings and arrows of daily life to emerge with a clear head and sense of well-being. Textured ceramic tiles provide the background for the inset pebbles that make up the circuitous routes, and circular skylights echo the curves below. Along the perimeter, seven narrow vertical slits hold Murano glass pendant fixtures, resembling shimmery droplets of water, while bamboo poles stand akimbo.

The circle theme is first evident with Evensong's circular driveway. The rectilinearity of the building itself, however, is a clear reference to Frank Lloyd Wright. In true Wright style, the asphalt-and-cedar overhanging roof and the poured-concrete entry canopy make a strong horizontal statement.

Visible through the facade's 12-foot-high window, the lobby's faux-limestone fireplace surround displays three disks of oiled rosewood. A return to the circle motif, they were originally wheels that monk turned artisan Tucker Robbins gathered from water buffalo carts in the Philippines. Dark mission-style chairs provide an effective contrast. The walnut-and-steel reception desk and the leather wall tiles behind it raise the level of texture.

Occupying an aesthetic middle ground between straight and curved, three small chunky steel tables feature interlocking convex and concave sides. A rectangular wool rug—made by the company responsible for the one in the Oval Office—undulates with a green-and-gold pattern.

The lobby flows into Evensong's boutique, where red-cedar trunks serve as display fixtures—just one among many design elements that take cues from the wooded environment, visible through windows that Testani used as often as practical concerns of construction and discretion allowed. She referenced the region's distinct seasons via her materials palette. In the mens' locker room, deep butterscotch walls and Ted Boerner's leather-covered club chairs speak of autumn. In the café, patrons settle into chairs and banquettes upholstered in the most kiwi-kissed of spring greens.

From top: In the labyrinthine circulation hub at Evensong Spa in Green Lake, Wisconsin, paths are delineated by pebble-filled grooves between the ceramic floor tiles; niches in the wall hold glass pendant fixtures. The exterior combines cedar, concrete, and Cor-Ten steel.

Clockwise from top left: The relaxation area's chaises, upholstered in leather and acrylic, overlook 38 acres of forest, wet-lands, and lake. In the lobby, sheepskin-covered walnut chairs and steel tables are grouped fireside; the faux-limestone surround displays oiled-rosewood wheels from Philippine water buffalo carts. Leather-covered pillows rest on chaise lounges in the whirlpool area.

From top: A wood substitute, made from sorghum stalks, clads walls in the café. The men's custom lockers are maple. Of the 11 treatment rooms, one is for couples.

PENDANT FIXTURES (HUB): LEUCOS. FLOOR TILE (HUB, LOBBY, WHIRLPOOL AREA, LOCKER ROOM): CERAMICA SANTAGOSTINO. PERIMETER LIGHTING (HUB), RECESSED CEILING FIXTURES (LOBBY, CAFÉ, LOCKER ROOM): LITHONIA LIGHTING. OTTOMANS (HUB), SIDE TABLE, LAMP (COUPLES ROOM): CRATE AND BARREL. TABLES (RELAXATION AREA): WEST ELM. PILLOW FABRIC: SILVER STATE. CHAISE UPHOLSTERY (RELAXATION AREA), PILLOW UPHOLSTERY (WHIRLPOOL AREA), CHAIR UPHOLSTERY (CAFÉ, LOCKER ROOM): MOORE & GILES. CARPET (RELAXATION AREA, CAFÉ): SHAW INDUSTRIES GROUP. CHAISE FABRIC (RELAXATION AREA), BANQUETTE BACKREST FABRIC (CAFÉ), PILLOW FABRIC (COUPLES ROOM): DONGHIA. CHAISES (RELAXATION AREA), SIDE CHAIRS (LOCKER ROOM): SILVERLINE FURNITURE. CHAIRS (LOBBY): MIMI LONDON. PILLOW FABRIC: ZOFFANY. TABLES: PERRY DESIGN & MANUFACTURING. CART WHEELS: TUCKER ROBBINS. PENDANT FIXTURES: FOSCARINI. WALL TILE: ROBUS LEATHER CORPORATION. CHAISE (WHIRLPOOL AREA): JANUS ET CIE. CHAIRS, STOOLS (CAFÉ): ANDREU WORLD. CUSTOM BANQUETTE: KLEINS UPHOLSTERY & BOOTH MANUFACTURING; MAHARAM (SEAT, BACK, SIDE FABRIC). TABLES: WEST COAST INDUSTRIES. TRACK LIGHTING: LITON. WALL COVERING: KIREI USA. CLUB CHAIRS (LOCKER ROOM): TED BOERNER. TREATMENT TABLES, STOOLS (COUPLES ROOM): LIVING EARTH CRAFTS. CHAIRS: SMITH & HAWKEN. CUSTOM PILLOWS: DIANE'S DRAPERIES. MILLWORK: HILLCRAFT. GENERAL CONTRACTOR: TRI-NORTH BUILDERS.