MKV winns HD’s Wellness Award for design of Bürgenstock’s Alpine Spa
– Maria Vafiadis
MKV Design, the principal designer in the reinvention of Switzerland’s Bürgenstock Resort, has been recognised by Hospitality Design as winner in the wellness category for its design of Bürgenstock’s Alpine Spa.
Perched on the mountainside 450 metres above Lake Lucerne, the 10,000sq m, three-level spa was a key element in the recreation of Bürgenstock Resort. The main challenge for the designers was how to make such a large spa feel intimate.
“The question we asked ourselves was how to strike the right balance between a scale that would reflect the sheer majesty of the surrounding landscape while ensuring that guests would feel at ease,” said Maria Vafiadis, founder of MKV Design. “Our aim was for guests to be released into contemplation of the natural world, to consider how they feel about themselves and achieve connection between body and mind.”
MKV created a spa that offers a sequence of spaces that are both extroverted – to embrace the rejuvenating power of nature – and introverted, to provide levels of meditation.
The treatment rooms wrap around the fully glazed walls, while the entrance tunnel though the mountain takes visitors on a contemplative journey, and the refurbished spa restaurant opens onto a garden and pool.
The awards were judged by a panel including: Kirstin Bailey, executive vice president of interior design, Ian Schrager Company; Mari Balestrazzi, vice president of Americas design services, Hyatt; John Meadow, founder and president, LDV Hospitality; Molly Swyers, chief brand officer, 21c Museum Hotels; and Mark Zeff, owner, MARKZEFF.
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