The perfect architectural envelope for a spa resort

Opened in 2016, QC Terme Dolomiti is perhaps the most striking of the ten spa resorts owned by the QC Terme group, in no small part due to its unique natural location next to the river Avisio in the town of Pozza di Fassa in the heart of the Dolomites. The challenging brief given to the architects from the QC Terme group’s architectural design department was to reconcile the architectural and functional requirements of a spa resort with a low environmental impact. The resort offers a wide range of high-quality wellness facilities, including indoor and outdoor thermal baths of different sizes with hydromassage points and thermal water originating from the Alloch natural spring; whirlpool benches and beds; waterfalls; foot massage waterjets; sensory pools with chromotherapy and underwater music; a Kneipp treading pool; shower beds and a Japanese bath. There are also three indoor saunas (an 80°C sauna built from maple wood, mahogany and heat-treated oak, a 55°C panoramic sauna reminiscent of a traditional Tyrolean farmhouse kitchen or «stube» and a 65°C/70°C sauna with Barrisol stretch ceiling), three steam baths, including one with porphyry wall cladding panels, and panoramic relaxation rooms offering views of the surrounding mountains. The spa stands on a total site area of 4,785 m2 including the 3,780 m2 floor space of the building itself, which extends over three levels following the natural slope of the land. A large underground volume accommodates the technical service areas. «Several of the spaces required detailed study,» explains Mariela Goncalves, one of the architects from QC Terme. «We devoted special attention to the whole of the indoor pool area due to its complexity in terms of services. The relaxation rooms are one of the main attractions of our centres and were designed in meticulous detail. We also took a lot of care with the exteriors to ensure that the volumes would blend in well with the natural setting. The result is a building in which around 50% of the volumes are located underground, although the above-ground portions were carefully designed in terms of the materials and architectural elements to create a modern and functional structure that would also be welcoming and would integrate well with the natural environment.» A range of strategies were adopted to reduce the building’s environmental footprint, including the use of green roofs over the entire basement floor and the choice of natural façade materials such as stone and wood to alternate with the panoramic windows from where guests can enjoy splendid views. The In&Out Percorsi Smart porcelain tile line from Ceramiche Keope was chosen for the surface covering material in the wellness areas, bringing a stone look to the saunas, salt room and Kneipp treading pool. It also creates a sense of continuity between the interiors and exteriors. «Stone had always been our favourite material as it gives the pools a truly unique look,» continued the architect. «But at the same time it creates a lot of technical problems in terms of pool maintenance and management as the spa water is very rich in minerals, which tend to deposit on porous surfaces and create a risk of bacterial formation. This led us to choose stone-effect porcelain, which maintains pleasing aesthetics while being less susceptible to the issues associated with the porosity of natural stone.»