a teal illuminated sauna

These Global Spas, Gyms, and Saunas Raise the Wellness Bar

Around the globe, a plethora of new spas, pools, gyms, and saunas raises the bar for everyday wellness.

Origin, Geneva by Bureau

Specializing in floatation therapy, the 2,045-square-foot spa is designed as a dreamlike progression through reception, waiting, and relaxation areas—calm but buoyant spaces where blocks of pastel tile or paint on walls and flooring (a palette inspired by Swiss-based Iranian photographer Shirana Shahbazi’s work) play subtly with perspective—to the intimacy of three tank rooms, white volumes bathed in blue light, each with a saltwater sensory-deprivation pod at its center.

a saltwater sensory deprivation tank
Photography by Dylan Perrenoud.
blue cabinets
Photography by Dylan Perrenoud.
stacks of towels in a room with blue cabinets and yellow floor tile
Photography by Dylan Perrenoud.
yellow, pink, and blue pastel lounge chairs
Photography by Dylan Perrenoud.

Hala Borky, Kolín, Czech Republic by OV Architekti

Surrounded by woodlands, and accessed by a riverside bicycle path, the 24,760-square-foot athletics venue embraces both simplicity—a single-level precast-concrete building with a tall, wood-clad lantern that rises above the ball court, allowing natural light to pour through large windows topped by a laminated-timber beam and wood-slat ceiling—and, thanks to extensive thermal insulation and a small photovoltaic array on the roof, passive energy status, too.

an illuminated basketball court
Photography by BoysPlayNice.
Yellow lockers
Photography by BoysPlayNice.
open blue lockers
Photography by BoysPlayNice.
the exterior of Hala Borky, an athletics venue
Photography by BoysPlayNice.
a lounge area with brown stools
Photography by BoysPlayNice.

Infinit Sen, Senohraby, Czech Republic by Studio Reaktor

Set in a landscaped garden with a small natural pond, the Czech wellness chain’s fifth outpost is a picturesque compound of cabins—15,000 square feet in total—housing a fresh-juice bar, massage facility, cooling zones, and seven individual saunas, the latter clad in larch slats but each featuring a unique interior that riffs on a particular theme, such as honey, herbs, or ceremony.

a teal illuminated sauna
Photography by BoysPlayNice.
a blue illuminated room looks out to the exterior
Photography by BoysPlayNice.
a wooden planked sauna
Photography by BoysPlayNice.
the exterior of Infinit Sen, a wellness facility, with an illuminated honeycomb-like design
Photography by BoysPlayNice.
a red illuminated sauna
Photography by BoysPlayNice.
a teal illuminated sauna with projections on the wall
Photography by BoysPlayNice.

Eichbottbad, Leingarten, Germany by Kauffmann Theilig & Partner

Flanking an existing outdoor pool, the new 26,000-square-foot municipal facility comprises adult and children’s pools under a curving canopy of laminated-spruce beams with generous skylights and a backlit textile-membrane ceiling that helps tame acoustics, while internal walls are clad in warm woodgrain laminate.

looking over the pool illuminated by the ceiling's skylight
Photography by Roland Halbe.
a hallway leading to rooms with a woman and man silhouette next to each door
Photography by Roland Halbe.
a rounded edge pool is illuminated by daylight
Photography by Roland Halbe.
a pool is illuminated by daylight
Photography by Roland Halbe.
the exterior of Eichbottbad, a municipal facility in Germany
Photography by Roland Halbe.

House Concepts, Vancouver, British Columbia by Leckie Studio Architecture + Design

Occupying the entire seventh level of a low-rise building in a striking BIG–Bjarke Ingels Group mixed-use development, the 15,600- square-foot facility includes discrete yoga, spin, and boxing studios, two gyms (one for residents only), and support spaces—all displaying a raw but highly experiential aesthetic that leaves structural concrete and ductwork exposed but clads volumes with mirror or hot-rolled steel panels inspired by Richard Serra installations.

a person walks by the entrance sign for House Concept
Photography by Ema Peter.
two people do yoga in a room with black yoga mats prepared for a group
Photography by Ema Peter.
a woman dances in a room with tall, dark grey walls
Photography by Ema Peter.
boxing equipment hangs from the ceiling in a red illuminated fitness room
Photography by Ema Peter.

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