White latticed screens and trailing planting shade the glazed facade of this Vietnam day spa, by MIA Design Studio, from the midday sun (+ slideshow).
The Ho Chi Minh City studio added banks of planting to the facade and inner courtyard of the five-star Naman Spa report in Danang, northern Vietnam, to create an "oasis of tranquility" for guests to the coastal city.
It is the latest in a series of visitor attractions springing up in Vietnam, as the country capitalises on the growth of its tourism industry. Other recent examples include a hotel resort in Nha Trang and a restaurant in Son La Province.
The fragmented screens and planting help to shade and naturally ventilate the building, keeping treatment rooms and exercise areas cool during the heat of the day.
The network of vertical and horizontal bars that cover parts of the facade are reflected in a palm-flanked pool in the grounds, helping to soften the distinction between building and landscape.
The latticework also casts a grid of light and shadow across the walkways that connect the internal spaces.
"With use of local plants, each retreat becomes a healing environment where the guest can enjoy a luxurious wellness in privacy," said the studio.
"Different areas flow smoothly into each other and the beautiful landscape creates an amazing journey into a dream-like experience."
A large atrium dominated by a pool and surrounded by hanging gardens forms the focal point of the ground floor. Planting trails from the green roof and upper floor of the building, creating a vegetated screen around the water.
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White platforms create stepping stones across the pool, connecting a gym, and meditation and yoga spaces that surround the atrium, while locker areas and jacuzzis are secluded in the corners of the building.
Fifteen treatment rooms with glazed walls, a cushioned daybed and deep bathtubs are set around the atrium on the upper floor. The trailing planting and latticed louvres filter the tropical sunlight to maintain cool temperatures, while still permitting views into the resort's grounds.
Photography is by Hiroyuki Oki.
Project credits:
Architectural Firm: MIA Design Studio
Developer: Thanh Do Investment and Construction Cooperation
Principal Architect: Nguyen Hoang Manh
Conceptual Design: Nguyen Hoang Manh, Nguyen Quoc Long
Technical Design: Bui Hoang Bao
Interior Design: Steven Baeteman, Truong Trong Dat, Le Ho Ngoc Thao
