A Shift in the Beauty Landscape
Gone are the days of predictable, pastel-toned beauty havens. The beauty scene is undergoing a thrilling transformation, embracing raw materials and unconventional spaces to create unique and surprising experiences. From the heart of Ukraine to the bustling streets of Williamsburg, let’s dive into the world of unconventional beauty spaces that are redefining relaxation and rejuvenation.
A Cocktail of Beauty: Say No Mo in Ukraine
Say No Mo in Ukraine isn’t your typical beauty salon. This new concept boldly merges the worlds of beauty services and cocktails, offering a truly unique experience. Architects Balbek Bureau embraced this bold vision, breaking free from the traditional, often gender-specific image of a beauty salon.
The 200-square-meter salon is a masterpiece of flowing spaces and light tones, creating a tranquil and contemplative ambiance. Its centerpiece, a broken cast concrete arch at the entrance, serves as a powerful symbol of shattering beauty stereotypes and embracing individuality.
The salon’s striking design features curved walls adorned with a gold titanium nitride coating, while large windows bathe the space in natural light, further enhancing the sense of openness and serenity. This mesmerizing blend of materials and light creates an almost ethereal atmosphere, transforming the space into a sanctuary for both body and mind.
Reimagining Bathing: Bathhouse in Williamsburg
Across the globe in Williamsburg, New York, a former soda factory has been reborn as Bathhouse, a social bathing experience that draws inspiration from the traditions of Scandinavia, Turkey, and Russia. Founders Jason Goodman and Travis Talmadge collaborated with Verona Carpenter Architects to transform this historical space into a haven of relaxation and communal connection.
The 600-square-meter underground spa is a symphony of raw materials, featuring original brickwork and matte black geometric tiles, creating a sense of both history and contemporary sophistication. The Ancient Roman-inspired mural on the back wall, painted by illustrator Amit Greenberg, adds a touch of whimsy and history to the space.
Bathhouse offers a variety of thermal therapies designed to revitalize the body and mind. Two red cedar saunas – one humid and one dry – cater to diverse preferences. A hammam and a trio of thermal pools, including a traditional Russian cold plunge, provide a range of experiences for ultimate relaxation. Heated marble slabs, inspired by Turkish hammams, add another dimension of warmth and comfort.
Thai Tradition Meets Modern Design: TaiOursea Laomendong Spa in Nanjing
In the ancient city of Nanjing, China, TaiOursea Laomendong spa offers a unique blend of Thai massage and modern design, creating a serene oasis inspired by the principles of rest and relaxation. The designers cleverly incorporated elements of Thai culture and symbolism throughout the spa, paying homage to the rich heritage of the region.
Drawing inspiration from Nanjing’s history and the traditional Chinese style of architecture, the spa utilizes black bricks as a symbolic building material. This is further enhanced by the use of red bricks, a nod to the popular red clay bricks used in Thai architecture. The designers believe the texture of the clay bricks evokes the feeling of walking barefoot on soil, creating a connection to the landscape of Southern Asia.
The Thai characters, embossed onto the surface of certain bricks, symbolize good fortune. Protruding bricks serve as shelves for glowing lamps, symbolizing prayer and meditation, adding a spiritual dimension to the spa experience. Customised square lamps, echoing the bricks’ orderly arrangement, create a calming atmosphere. The spa’s exterior facade is adorned with lamps, transforming the building into a beacon of tranquility in the night.
Embracing the Unconventional
These remarkable spa spaces demonstrate that beauty comes in many forms. By breaking free from conventional expectations, these unique venues offer raw, authentic experiences that redefine the very concept of relaxation. From the cocktail-infused beauty salon in Ukraine to the underground haven of Bathhouse and the traditional Thai spa in Nanjing, these innovative spaces are proving that beauty can be found in the most unexpected places. They are a testament to the power of design to create spaces that are both aesthetically pleasing and profoundly enriching for the soul.
