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Architecture
Robert D. Henry Architects
Principal: Robert D. Henry
Project Architect: Nicole Migeon
Design Team: Harris Levy, Kanchalee Sookawesh, Laurin Goff, Paula Saco
Interiors
Robert D. Henry Architects and Thomas Wang Interior Design
Location
Taichung, Taiwan
Client
Orient Retreat Spa Group
Program
To establish this flagship spa, the architect created a relaxing indoor/outdoor environment with a hardscape garden, café, reception area, and retail space on the ground floor. The second floor features the treatment rooms – including 11 massage rooms, two vichy shower rooms, a couples treatment room, a hydrotherapy room, a relaxation lounge, and a salon.
Site
Located in a neighborhood emerging as a wellness enclave, Orient Retreat Spa shares a block with a yoga studio and other wellness-related businesses. Situated on the corner, with its café and courtyard open to the general public, the spa is literally a community “retreat” for both local residents and spa goers alike.
Size
7,000 square feet
Design
Orient Retreat is designed to offer visitors a peaceful escape from city life. Its limestone walls Spa line the street front, giving way to a corner entrance where visitors glide under a literal circle of light. A limestone courtyard is a garden of fragrant exotic flowers, indigenous trees, and water features. Open to the public to promote wellness in the community, the space provides a peaceful, natural environment.
The two-story, L-shaped building inverts the expected – the second floor’s monolithic limestone façade floats above the first level’s delicate glass enclosure. Rich teak-wood elements offset the transparency of the water and glass. Breezy and modern, the building and courtyard exhibit clean lines and a soft color palette. A shimmering reflecting pool runs through the courtyard, mirroring the L-shape of the building. One side of the pool holds custom-designed planters with indigenous trees and features 15 fountains shooting streams of dancing water into the air. The adjacent side holds a floating island with café tables that spill out from the interior eatery. A teak-wood bridge glides over the surrounding water and connects the café island to the spa entry. Made from the same wood, the bridge seamlessly morphs into the custom-designed entry door. The grand entrance emphasizes the physical transformation from the outside world to the inner retreat.
Interiors evoke a clean and clear feeling with the use of local redwood and contemporary furnishings. The first floor’s glass enclosure and the bright, airy interior allow indoor guests to experience the sensation of being outdoors.
The café, reception area, retail store, and women’s lounge are carefully configured on the first level, surrounded by glass. Visitors have full views of the spectacular outdoor garden and water elements.
An elegantly detailed, light-filled stairway leads to 15 treatment rooms and relaxation lounge on the second floor overlooking the garden, where bubbling water sets a meditative tone.
The couples’ room provides a poetic vignette of nature by focusing on a single tree illuminated by the open light-well. The hydrotherapy room forms a cocoon of deep slate and glowing light. Soft light creates an ethereal ambiance throughout the space.
Robert D. Henry Architects
Principal: Robert D. Henry
Project Architect: Nicole Migeon
Design Team: Harris Levy, Kanchalee Sookawesh, Laurin Goff, Paula Saco
Interiors
Robert D. Henry Architects and Thomas Wang Interior Design
Location
Taichung, Taiwan
Client
Orient Retreat Spa Group
Program
To establish this flagship spa, the architect created a relaxing indoor/outdoor environment with a hardscape garden, café, reception area, and retail space on the ground floor. The second floor features the treatment rooms – including 11 massage rooms, two vichy shower rooms, a couples treatment room, a hydrotherapy room, a relaxation lounge, and a salon.
Site
Located in a neighborhood emerging as a wellness enclave, Orient Retreat Spa shares a block with a yoga studio and other wellness-related businesses. Situated on the corner, with its café and courtyard open to the general public, the spa is literally a community “retreat” for both local residents and spa goers alike.
Size
7,000 square feet
Design
Orient Retreat is designed to offer visitors a peaceful escape from city life. Its limestone walls Spa line the street front, giving way to a corner entrance where visitors glide under a literal circle of light. A limestone courtyard is a garden of fragrant exotic flowers, indigenous trees, and water features. Open to the public to promote wellness in the community, the space provides a peaceful, natural environment.
The two-story, L-shaped building inverts the expected – the second floor’s monolithic limestone façade floats above the first level’s delicate glass enclosure. Rich teak-wood elements offset the transparency of the water and glass. Breezy and modern, the building and courtyard exhibit clean lines and a soft color palette. A shimmering reflecting pool runs through the courtyard, mirroring the L-shape of the building. One side of the pool holds custom-designed planters with indigenous trees and features 15 fountains shooting streams of dancing water into the air. The adjacent side holds a floating island with café tables that spill out from the interior eatery. A teak-wood bridge glides over the surrounding water and connects the café island to the spa entry. Made from the same wood, the bridge seamlessly morphs into the custom-designed entry door. The grand entrance emphasizes the physical transformation from the outside world to the inner retreat.
Interiors evoke a clean and clear feeling with the use of local redwood and contemporary furnishings. The first floor’s glass enclosure and the bright, airy interior allow indoor guests to experience the sensation of being outdoors.
The café, reception area, retail store, and women’s lounge are carefully configured on the first level, surrounded by glass. Visitors have full views of the spectacular outdoor garden and water elements.
An elegantly detailed, light-filled stairway leads to 15 treatment rooms and relaxation lounge on the second floor overlooking the garden, where bubbling water sets a meditative tone.
The couples’ room provides a poetic vignette of nature by focusing on a single tree illuminated by the open light-well. The hydrotherapy room forms a cocoon of deep slate and glowing light. Soft light creates an ethereal ambiance throughout the space.
Orient Retreat Spa
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An elegantly detailed, light-filled stairway leads to 15 treatment rooms and relaxation lounge on the second floor overlooking the garden, where bubbling water sets a meditative tone.
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