Amongst the snowy peaks of Italy’s northern South Tyrol region is a peculiar sight. Suspended from two pillars is what looks like an upside-down village.
The flipped floating huts actually house a spa and have been newly designed by Noa Network for Hotel Hubertus. This idea is to provide a unique wellness experience with constantly changing views of the vertiginous landscape around.
The inverted spa, named Heaven and Hell, overlooks the town of Valdaora near the border with Austria.
Lukas Rungger, the lead architect on the project, told Architectural Digest, “Visitors to the spa experience a variety of constantly changing views in the wellness areas, where their perspectives are constantly changing, whether they are lying in the sauna, sitting in the relaxation area, or floating in the pool.”
The gravity-defying spa hovers at 50 feet above the ground sitting on a platform supported by larch clad pillars. A midair walkway links the spa to a glass-walled relaxation area. The complex is made up of gabled roofed huts, each housing a different wellness experience.
The upside down spa has breathtaking views of the mountains.
The upsidedown structures, which extend downwards from the platform, were inspired by vernacular alpine architecture. The contrary orientation also has practical benefits. They house a water purification system and other technical plants.
The result is a surreal vision of a floating, vertigo-inducing village in midair.
“The lower level of the platform provokes a feeling of a certain dislocation. As you descend, the temperature rises, and the environment becomes more protected. It feels like a descent into the center of the Earth, with everything turned on its head,” said architect Gottfried Gruber, who supervised the project.
The upper level houses two whirlpools, two panoramic showers, and a changing room, all outdoors. The lower floor has facilities like a Finnish sauna, a walk-in shower, an outdoor pool and a cold mist shower.
The colors and materials aim to reflect the natural surroundings with brown and beige tones and ceramic and oak flooring.
If you’re a fan of heights, this spa hopes to give you a whole new wellness perspective.