Plus Architecture creates vision for hot springs retreat and spa in Perth Western Australia
Proposals have been submitted for a AUS$25m (€15.5m, £13.4m, US$18.3m) hot springs development on the banks of the Swan River in Perth, Western Australia.
Formerly Dalkeith Hot Pools, the site was a popular bathing spot for tourists and the local community from the 1920s to the 1950s.
After reading articles about the history of Dalkeith Hot Pools, local investor and director of FJM Property, Barry Jones, was inspired to redevelop the destination in 2018.
Now plans for the Tawarri Hot Springs project are under assessment for approval by the Western Australian Government.
Designed by Plus Architecture, the 5,500sq m development would be open to all members of the public and house a two-storey spa, a range of indoor and outdoor geothermal pools, saunas, hammams, steamrooms, cold plunge pools, treatment rooms and relaxation areas, as well as a restaurant and cafe.
These experiences will be both indoor and outdoor, with audiovisuals, subtle lighting and fragrances designed to evoke calm and relaxation.
“We want to create a classic European-style spa and wellness centre that will be unique in Australia,” says Jones, “the design vision for Tawarri Hot Springs is to create an atmosphere of tranquillity, using geothermally heated water and natural building materials.”
He told CLAD it’s hoped construction will kick off in late 2021 if the proposal is successful and anticipates the project will take two years to complete.
To realise the concept for the geothermal wellness destination, Plus Architects drew inspiration from global spa destinations, including Peninsula Hot Springs in Melbourne, Spa Resort Therme Geinberg in Austria and both North America’s Groupe Nordik locations and the UK’s Center Parcs Aqua Sana developments.
The designers want to create a quiet, reflective, recuperative space with flow from one end of the facility to the other.
The goal is to "emphasise Tawarri Hot Springs’ prime riverfront location so its acoustic, visual and sensory impacts help amplify the location’s activities and atmosphere."
Styling will be "sophisticated", using natural materials, with Western Australian produce and stories and building materials utilised throughout.
Australia Plus Architecture