noa* sensitively transforms 17th-century monastic garden into wellness haven

– Francesco Padovan
Architecture and interior design firm Network of Architecture (noa*) has breathed new life into the former Monastery Serve di Maria Addolorata in Trentino, situated at the northern tip of the iconic Lake Garda in Italy.
Noa*’s vision was to restore the building’s spiritual dimension and make its most distinctive elements the main features of a charming hotel, named Monastero Arx Vivendi.
The 40-room complex and its extensive garden are encompassed by original seven-metre-high walls and date back to the second half of the 17th century. The noa* project consisted of two main phases; renovating and converting the monastery into a hotel and the development of a new 500sq m wellness area.
Half of the Monastery building, which also hosts a church and cloister, where nuns continue to live, has been left untouched.
Situated in the monastery garden, the spa consists of seven light glass and metal volumes positioned along a stone spine, which look out onto the location’s lush green courtyard.
Inside the spa, everything is designed to generate a sense of calm and relaxation, from the milled wood panels that echo the stylised pomegranate symbol of the monastery, to the benches of the bio sauna, which encourage meditation and are reminiscent of a prayer room.
“Monastero Arx Vivendi is a refuge that takes you back in time, closely centred around the history and the particular features of this place,” explains Francesco Padovan, the noa* architect who developed the architectural project.
“Every construction choice, every material and detail, has been studied to draw on the majesty of the pre-existing context, exalting it and giving it new life.”.
The spa is home to three relaxation rooms, two saunas, a hammam, two treatment rooms and a thermal cycle that revolves around a large heated dark stone.
Noa* finished the wellness area with materials and decor to create a warm and calming atmosphere – details include warm tones of bleached oak, linen-effect textiles and cotton.
From a design perspective, the underlying vision was to maintain the typical monastery architecture, preserve the original design of the internal paths and extend its geometrical rigour to the new volumes, paying close attention to the choice of materials and colours.
The spa’s connecting spine – composed of a series of pillars covered in Vicenza stone and a horizontal architrave in pre-fabricated and sandblasted concrete – was constructed to match the stone pilastrade of the raised channel that runs along the eastern side of the convent.
“When designing this area, our aim was to create a dialogue with the surrounding agricultural landscape more so than with the monastery,” concluded Padovan.
“To do this we used very simple elements with strong structural clarity. The light metal framework, organised in pillars and beams, is inspired by the characteristic lemon houses of rural Lake Garda.”
noa* architects Hofer GroupHistoric 17th-century monastery operating as wellness sanctuary for exhausted healthcare workers
noa* reimagines alpine wellness retreat to merge seamlessly with mountain landscape
noa*’s Silena Hotel fuses client wishes with architect’s desires


Swedish architects Wingårdhs create year-round resort with waterpark and hotel for Liseberg

Juneteenth Museum by Bjarke Ingels Group has been designed to inspire spiritual uplift

BIG and HOK's timber concept wins Zurich Airport competition

Christoph Ingenhoven reveals Lanserhof Sylt, featuring the largest thatched roof in Europe

BIG's designs Prague concert hall to be vibrant centre of life

Mather & Co-designed Gretna Green Experience opens to the public

Project to save last major bellfoundry which cast bells for St Paul's and Washington National Cathedral

Perkins & Will reveals designs for net-zero sports and cultural centre in Toronto

World’s first living waterslides announced for Therme Manchester

Heatherwick reveals Volcano-inspired opera house designs for Hainan

Natural history museum planned for Abu Dhabi

Controversial London music venue, MSG Sphere, gets full planning permission

Clifford's Tower opens to the public after £5m redevelopment

Clifford's Tower opens to the public after £5m redevelopment

Glasgow's iconic Burrell Collection reopens after five-year, £68.5m revamp

SB Architects delivers Ritz-Carlton Reserve in Costa Rica with tree-house spa and private residences

Ole Scheeren designs vertical jungle resort complex in China

Designer Brian d’Souza launches Swell to create evocative soundscapes for physical environments

Basalt Architects create geothermal Forest Lagoon in the wilds of Iceland

Hot Pickle design £73m Guinness visitor attraction for Diageo in London

Amsterdam's new digital art centre Fabrique des Lumières will use tech to bring art alive

Pharrell Williams to launch tropical Bahamian beach resort

Banyan Tree curating solar-powered wellness retreat on private Mozambican island

Dubai Expo hits 10 million visits

Foster + Partners designs Dorchester Collection's first hotel in Middle East

Neil Jacobs reveals Six Senses Places concept for major cities

Orient Express returns to Italy after 46 years with six trains designed by Dimorestudio and new Rome hotel

400-year-old mineral spring will power Preidlhof’s €2m medicinal bath experience

Universal Beijing Resort reveals expansion plans for second phase
