Best of Year: Spa

Meghan Edwards -- Interior Design, 12/1/2010 6:42:00 PM

Project: Atomic Spa Suisse
Firm: Simone Micheli Architectural Hero
Location: Milan

A symphony of shiny surfaces and multicolored lights, Simone Micheli says, transports the Boscolo Exedra Milano hotel’s 5,400-square-foot spa to another dimension, “one that’s surreal, metaphysical, and unlikely.” He dotted the ceiling in the reception area and the corridors with half-bubbles of chromium-plated plastic, then went all out clustering hundreds around and above the pool for a kaleidoscopic effect. Below the surface of the water, white LEDs illuminate hydro-massage jets. Poolside, four showers are lit with red or blue LEDs, indicating warm or cold water. The fantasy continues nearby with the virtual landscapes projected on a wall behind a row of white daybeds. Beyond the pool, spa-goers discover a cedar-paneled sauna, a mosaic-tiled Turkish bath, and six treatment rooms lined with chartreuse lacquered cabinets.

Merit Winners:


Project: Revel Spa
Firm: Jiun Ho
Location: San Francisco
Standout: Southeast Asian details range from antique Thai birdcages, clustered in reception, to the designer’s own photographs of Vietnam, framed at manicure stations.


Project: Bliss
Firm: United Designers
Location: Doha, Qatar
Standout: With the honeycomb of hexagons on the desk and ceiling and the blue circles of the rug, reception introduces the geometry theme at the W Doha Hotel & Residences spa.


Project: Four Seasons Resort
Firm: HBA/Hirsch Bedner Associates
Location: Seychelles
Standout: Five cliff-top spa pavilions, including one for yoga, offer a natural materials palette and the opportunity to contemplate sweeping Indian Ocean views.