By Alex Stark. Copyright 2007
and all rights reserved
Spas are locations where
the individual can experience the totality of their being in order
to create healing and wellness. The land, its topography and the
spiritual qualities of the site are integral components of this
process. In this context it is important to allow the landscape
to speak to the soul and heart of the individual. To achieve this,
it is essential, from an energetic perspective, to enhance and to
replicate its qualities in the built environments.
Structures must serve a fundamental
purpose: to resonate with the natural qualities of the landscape.
Buildings must respond to the basic qualities of place: orientation
to the cardinal directions, relationship to sky, water and earth,
and to the movement of bodies as they travel in space. To this end,
certain metaphors and narratives must be orchestrated in an attempt
to guide the visitor into an experience that can capture the magic
and mystery of the land. Furthermore, any harsh qualities of the
terrain must be softened with the addition of new elements that
play off the inherent qualities of light, sound, wind, and the passage
of time.
Guiding Principles:
1. The experience
of space is designed as a narrative in the landscape. Guests must
feel that they are discovering the landscape in order to create
wellness in their bodies, psyche and soul.
2. This experience is conceived as a series of
events that follow each other in sequences. Some of these events
involve built environments, others include natural formations, gardens,
exotic element imported for this purpose, or special artwork that
resonates with the environment.
3. The connections between places, events and amenities
is conceived as a web of relationships, rather than a pathway or
road. This allows for more complex discussions about the role of
experience. It also allows for the introduction of sophisticated
ideas for programming.
4. Key metaphors are isolated from the surrounding
landscape and repeated at various scales in order to reaffirm the
terrain and its qualities. These include but are not limited to:
light and shadow, sun and moon, water and earth, openness and closeness,
wind and mountains, the movement of sun, moon and stars across the
sky, and plant life that reflects the patterns of life, death, and
rebirth. Spaces must resonate with these qualities.
5. Although local materials are preferred, certain
exotic items can be introduced in order to heighten the tension
between nature and man. These include crystals, indoor plants, antiques,
textiles, sculpture, and other decorations.
6. Art is used as a way to heighten the experience
of place. Large scale sculpture and earthworks, in particular, can
be helpful in dramatizing the landscape.
7. Since wind and sky are a key component of the
landscape, its movement is made visible through art, architecture,
and sculpture. Small chimes can also be used in courtyards and dwellings.
Every small movement of wind needs to be captured as a way of increasing
psychological relief.
8. Water and its role in the landscape must be
explored repeatedly: water is everything in the land. Hence, gardens
and horticulture play a central role in defining the guests' experience.
Shallow reflecting pools and larger water features all have a role:
to cool and delight.
9. In addition to the metaphors of earth and water,
the movement of sun, moon, and stars across the sky is an organizing
principle that can be captured with sundials, portholes, rituals,
ceremony, and programs such as solstice events, labyrinths, sweat
lodges and many others.
Organizing Scheme
The entire experience at
a spa can be organized around a narrative that involves movement
in space. This sequence is critical to an understanding of the landscape
and of the transformative experience which the spa can provide.
Guests are intentionally guided through a series of paths that are
packed with symbols, metaphors, and stories. This acts as a backdrop
to the rest of their experiences.
The organizing scheme or
Master Plan includes both buildings and paths, but from the feng
shui perspective, it is all about energy flow in time. Guests arrive
at the Reception Area after a meandering drive or a path system
that emphasizes a sense of removal from ordinary life. There they
are refreshed and welcomed. After this respite, guests are encouraged
to proceed to their dwellings along a series of paths or drives
that continue to emphasize the experience of immersion into the
landscape.
All other areas and services
can then me connected to this central system, which is also the
central image of the spa as a whole. Certain areas may focus on
socialization and community, others on privacy and seclusion: at
times mystery and a sense of discovery may be prevalent; at others,
familiarity and comfort may be more important. In the end, it is
this orchestration of narratives and transformative experiences
in time that makes for a truly special experience.
Narratives and Sequences
The experience of space occurs
always in time. How one perceives a space or an experience depends
on the orchestration of events as they unfold over time. In order
to develop a transformative experience, the spa designer must create
a series of controlled narratives that will slowly disclose the
basic metaphors inherent in the landscape as well as those in the
spa's specific program. These narratives are like stories that are
told not in words, but in unfolding movement through the environment.
Of all the possible narratives,
the most important is the arrival experience. The guest must be
made to realize how important and life-transformative the specific
location can be. To do this it is essential to create a sense of
arrival that is superbly special and which can convey the totality
of the spa's mission and ethos. In this narrative, key sequences
can be patterned on certain recurring sequences: travel and arrival;
vast open areas and small enclosed spaces; open hot skies and cool
interiors; blinding sunlight and welcome shade. This experience
sets up a rhythm that can be compared to the in breath and out breath
of life. Through this pattern, the very nature of life is explored
and a greater awareness and respect for nature is promoted.
Basic Metaphors
Metaphors are essential components
of any building campaign. A spa's topography, climate, flora, fauna
and history provide clear metaphors that are symbolic of the personal
journey of transformation: going into the wilderness in order to
find oneself. The specific conditions that characterize the site
also speak of the dual relationship between weakness and courage,
challenge and surrender, death and rebirth.
In order to provide such
a transformative experience, a spa must pattern itself directly
on these conditions. These metaphors can then be used for the development
of architectural forms and interior design. They can also be reflected
in experiences that can form part of the spa program.
Unlike architecture, which
can at times be understood as an abstract aesthetic quality outside
of time, the experience of transformation occurs only time, and
is dependent on sequence, timing, and expectations. A carefully
designed experience highlights not only the beauty of the natural
setting and the architecture that is patterned on it, but brings
into play the psychology, psyche and vision of the individual living
that experience. Consequently, it is essential to choose a set of
achievable symbols, signs, objects, and processes that can be repeated
in diverse locations, which will reinforce the basic metaphors present
in the landscape.
Key metaphors may include,
among many other:
Freedom: open skies
Majesty: towering earth and mountains
Transcendence: sands that shift in time
Vitality: preciousness of water
Time: movement of sun, moon & stars
Relief: the cooling power of wind
Psyche: underground places
Endurance: plant and animal life
Mystery: shadows, moon and stars
Intimacy: caves, canyons, valleys
Key Images and Objects
Landscapes are redolent with
images and objects that are not only magnificent in their stark
beauty, but also symbolic of larger metaphors in our own lives.
Sculpted rocks, for example, speak to the process of transformation
experienced by the earth through the action of water and wind; exposed
layers of the ancient ocean are representative of the layers of
our own psyche, revealed by the challenges of life. The whole of
the landscape contains such meaning; desert flowers evoke our ability
to make beauty of the most challenging situations; valleys represent
the potential of future discovery; the vastness of space mirrors
our own capacity for insight and vision.
In order to make use of these
images, it is necessary to catalogue them and to introduce them
into the newly created environments. Architecture and interior design
should therefore reflect the landscape. Objects placed in dwellings,
common areas, paths, or rest areas can re-evoke the experience of
the landscape in a more intimate way, reminding and deepening the
guest's experience thereby. Artwork and decor can have a similar
effect, resonating with the terrain.
Key objects may include,
among many others:
Sculpted rocks: symbols of
Nature's beauty
Crystals: symbols of Earth's purity
Small gardens: the preciousness of water
Hanging plants in crevices: tenacity and courage
Reflecting pools: healing and tranquility
Modern art: finding new meaning in the beauty of the old
Large scale stone sculptures: guardian rocks and gateways
Shaded areas: rest and recuperation
Light and shadow: whimsy and fantasy
Flags, banners and chimes: hope and liberation
Fire pits: security and community
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