A natural and relaxing environment

Riva del Garda is a small town on the northernmost edge of lake Garda. As the main tourist centre of this northern end of Lake Garda located in the Trentino Alto Adige region, this town has a longstanding tradition of hospitality which made it the favourite destination of such refined geniuses as Kafka, Goethe, Nietzsche, Mann and Freud. Sheltered by the Rocchetta and Baldo mountains, Riva has a mild climate, white pebble beaches and lush olive and lemon groves, making it a kind of Mediterranean oasis at the foot of the Brenta Group of Dolomite mountains.
In this privileged natural context, architecture has developed harmoniously and enriched the town over the years with prestigious and elegant buildings, some of which were designed by Giancarlo Maroni, perhaps best known as the architect of the Vittoriale, the residential palace of the Italian poet and novelist Gabriele D’Annunzio.
In the early 20th century, a particularly interesting interpretation of the Art Nouveau style found clear expression in Riva in the aristocratic villas overlooking the beautiful tree-lined avenue Viale Carducci. One of the most notable of these is Grand Hotel Liberty. The building, consisting of three continuous nuclei, was converted into a hotel in the Sixties and underwent further extension and remodelling work, which however was always respectful of its original structure.
Recently, the Zanoni firm of architects based in Riva del Garda, in close collaboration with the Calzà family which owns the building, completed the construction of a large and sophisticated spa beauty farm comprising leisure, fitness and wellness facilities.
The project’s underlying theme is „an invitation to discover a natural environment“, reinforced not only by specific architectural solutions but also by the choice of materials, first and foremost porcelain tiles from Ceramiche Sichenia’s Pavé Evolution collection.
A sequence of well defined but harmoniously interconnected spaces leads guests through an enchanted world of wellness. Two pools combine hi-tech functionality with a spectacular setting: on the one hand, the indoor pool representing the agora or main square, surrounded by the glass-windowed rooms of the beauty farm; on the other the outdoor pool, accessed via a large stairway, which enjoys a unique setting by the overhanging rocky wall and amongst the Mediterranean vegetation surrounding the pool.
The elegance and functionality of this building are achieved through the use of specific materials, chosen with a particular focus on aesthetics and performance. The soft, smooth colours enhance the relaxing effect of the whole environment. The marbles of the spiral columns that separate the wellness spaces are interestingly combined with the porcelain floor tiles with their excellent technical properties and the aesthetic appeal of handcrafted natural stone.