In this project, we were asked to transform an office space in the city center into a haven of well-being and relaxation.
A pivotal role in the architectural conception was played by the ritual movement, the smooth integration, and the gradual initiation of the visitor.
The floor plan was designed with seamless flow and harmonious transition in mind. Strict corners and rigid borders were therefore avoided. The use of the curve optimally served the intention of fluidity and defined the aesthetics of the space.
At the same time, the present architectural project attempts to create an aesthetic result derived from the reconciliation of Japanese simplicity and the mystique of the oriental hammam.
The visitor enters the reception area, a tight space with a warm atmosphere, and is then led through the corridor, which has an almost mystique character, to the massage areas, making the transition from the bustling city environment to the peace of interiority.
This is contributed significantly by the lighting installed with a vertical direction and an irregular rhythm and height between the wooden bars of circular cross-sections located on either side of the corridor. Light bars were also placed around the perimeter of the column in height, creating a brighter sub-area and marking the common area, in contrast to the doors leading to the rooms, which receive the same material as the wall cladding and in this way they create the illusion of a single surface.
Within the massage spaces, the presence of the curve is equally emphatic, both in the ceilings and in the individual elements.
Most of the surface of the walls and ceilings was coated with Roman mortar. A single earth tone was chosen to dominate the textures of the materials and the volume of the forms.
Quotes praising the massage adorn selected parts of the space.