BUILDINGS | BODIES

TRANSMUTATING COVALENCIES

Project: Swiss Alps Wellness Retreat_ Competition Entry

A COLLABORATIVE ENDEVOUR

Between The Looking Glass and Aakaar

We asked ourselves, what are the dualities that are intrinsic to the program and the proposed site of St Moritz –

The Collaborative Question:

How is architecture responsible to provide peace to body and mind of humankind within its bi-fold rationality of structure and context ? How does its architecture generates various feelings of relaxation and wellness while also being grounded in its physical reality?

The project Integrates the idea that Nature induces the Freedom of Body, while creating an accentuated Journey of wellness through the emergence of CRESTS AND TROUGHS that weave along the actual landscape below the Alps, thus rhythmically binding the covalents of nature and body.

In our values, wellness is achieved through complete deconstruction of the body and mind , following stages of Revival , leading to eventual resurrection, ie; a Wholesome Experience.

The journey is guided by three stages in Design:

1. Consciousness_ Elevation from the body image
A journey through the Active Landscape of site percolates into Insertion of three Crests which form the carpal tunnels of nature along the ground is where experiences of the self and surrounding are unfolded as nature troughs intersect the Crests of cabin stays.

2. The State Of Transformation
The building through its insert of the freedom arc that flows into a unique unarticulated body merges with the landscape forming the roof.

3. The Haven is finally a complete revival of the self where people( irrespective of nature and gender) indulge in the sensual baths.

The Building produces Bridges and SunTerraces that meet the lake’s eye extending the soul’s attachment to infinity.

While the building blocks encompassing various functions becomes the guide for the journey throughout, two crests become the experiential spaces which tries to connect the visitor to the
nature. One serves as an extroverted trough which leads towards the hydrotherapy pool and the mineral pool, opening towards the direction of lake, creating a strong visual connection with the
immediate surrounding. Other one serves as a introverted tunnel which leads to the meditation hall on the other end. It tries to relax down the senses with the inclusion of local flora and fauna
and its biophilic nature. Both of these troughs are lead by the nature’s walk to take a pause fromthe everyday stress.

A COMPLETE DECONSTRUCTION

OF THE SELF

TRANSFORMATION OF THE SELF

INTERVENTIONS

Provision of sun terraces in different parts with the Bio Sauna and Tepidarium. The women could lie and relax in the semi-open relaxation areas and the terraced based on comfort levels, both allowing for avenues of comfort and de stressing
The Nature trough contained Parapets, Bowl seatings, Handrails for pregnant women to be comfortable while accessing the parts of the center.
The decision to design the center as under a single roof and not in parts over the site came from both ideologies : Not to use land unnecessarily and avoid large travel distance pertaining to use of differently abled and pregnant.
Relaxing Pods near to cabin stays were designed for immediate use if the spouse is using the cabin.
The theatre Boxes were the in between - facing the Nature trough which is the Exterior. The cabin stays had intermediate glass partitions to negotiate visibility. ( To allow the controlled look)
The View from the cabins to the Alps and the trough was the controlling look.
Layers of visibility occurred
The observation decks , often considered in Modern Architecture to create a landscape for consumption - ‘ Objects dominating the city’ were created not for view of the observer but embedded in the experienced landscape of the center as one moves through them to observe nature as against them to look at them as objects.
Another crucial decision was the aesthetic of the Meditation Hall_ An aesthetic of Curiosity constructed to pursue the warmth , sense of meditative engagement through the polycarbonate skin system.