Wellness based on steam and water

Located close to the lake in the town of Levico Terme in Italy’s Trentino region, Hotel Ambassador was recently refurbished to improve the level of hospitality offered to guests seeking ever higher standards of comfort and well-being. Alongside the existing 30-year-old hotel, a new two-floor volume was constructed to accommodate a roadside bar and a wellness centre tucked away in a more secluded basement location. The building’s large rooftop terrace boasts an outdoor swimming pool, a relaxation area and a hot tub at the foot of a concrete terraced slope clad with reconstituted stone veneer.
Located in the basement of the new building, the new wellness centre was christened “Lagorai & Spa” after the name of the local area. In the spa project, the architects combined technological innovation with ancient knowledge in their efforts to cater for both body and mind. The spa extends over a total area of around 550 sq.m and includes a Finnish sauna, a Turkish bath, a bio-sauna and an indoor pool with relaxation area. Although housed in a basement, the spa faces onto an indoor courtyard that allows natural light to flow in and illuminate the pool. The wellness itinerary starts from the reception area, where the spa’s logo stands out on the lilac coloured wall.
Inside the spa itself, the floor and wall tiles create a kind of compendium of materials and installation techniques. Roxstones, a natural quartzite-inspired porcelain collection supplied by Caesar, was chosen in a vast array of colours, sizes, textures and surface finishes. The colours Golden Stone (yellow), White Quartz (white) and Dark Quartz (black) in three different sizes (60×60 cm, 30×60 cm and 10×45 cm) are used on the floors and walls and in the showers, the Turkish bath and the swimming pool area. The modules feature two different finishes (soft and grip) so as to diversify the surfaces without disrupting the pleasing effect of visual continuity of colour and material. From the reception area, a tiled walkway leads through the various spaces and gives a sense of continuity and identity to the entire facility.
The tiles used in the spa interior consist prevalently of White Quartz in sizes 60×60 cm and 30×60 cm, rectified and with a soft surface. These tiles blend perfectly with the geo-stone panelling (also used in the exteriors), the surface of the water and the portions of masonry decorated with Roxwall 1 and 3. Maintained at a temperature of 32-34°C, the indoor swimming pool is an oasis of relaxation complete with a whirlpool and chaises longues. In the Turkish bath, ceramic tiles of various colours are used to create a dynamic collage effect.
A stairway clad with ceramic trim pieces (bullnose steps) leads to the new building’s rooftop terrace, which offers views of the surrounding landscape and boasts a swimming pool, a solarium, a Jacuzzi and a children’s pool. The 60×60 cm format in colours Golden Stone and White Quartz (in the Aextra20 version with its extra-large 2 cm thickness) were chosen for this external level. A dry installation solution featuring special feet was adopted to compensate for the large temperature variations that occur in this climatic area during the year, while a raised floor has been used to hide the utilities.