December 24, 2013

2013 BOY Winner: Beauty/Spa/Fitness

Starting with the Forneria San Paolo in São Paulo, Brazil, in 2001, Isay Weinfeld has built or renovated 14 hotels and restaurants for the Fasano group. The Fasano Boa Vista, 75 miles inland from that city, boasts not only 1,800 acres dotted with lakes and villas but also a freestanding spa in a rambling, low-rise 19,000-square-foot building. Making an unrepentant statement about purity, peace, quiet, and relaxation, the all-white exterior stands in sharp contrast to the landscape, presenting a blank face on approach. The sole clues to what’s inside are the fins extending vertically and horizontally from the main volume—manifestations of the placement of internal walls. Given the lack of windows on the front and sides, skylights are a major source of illumination. They’re supplemented in back by the glass sliders that open each of the eight massage rooms to a small patio looking downhill at the woods. Other amenities include two swimming pools, two whirlpools, a steam room, and a sauna.

Project Team:
Domingos Pascali; Marcelo Alvarenga; Monica Cappa; Juliana Scalizi; Guilherme Leme; Carolina Miranda.

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