Holistic relaxation in harmony with the surrounding space
In a spa environment created specifically to provide people with physical and mental recreation, clay earth is a potent protagonist. On the one hand, this applies to healing treatments. Clay mud is used on the body, for example. Clay’s heat-retaining properties improve blood circulation and the removal of toxins. On the other hand, the thermal properties and all other health-promoting characteristics of clay earth make it ideal for the spa’s construction: Clay plaster stores heat from solar radiation thanks to its dense mass and releases it evenly again as the ambient temperature drops. Additionally, the all-around ecological building material can absorb and release moisture, thereby keeping the indoor humidity at a constant level. Thanks to its binding properties, it also absorbs pollutants and dust out of the air and dampens unpleasant sounds. Rooms built with clay earth, therefore, have a great impact on the well-being of those who are in them.
An oasis of tranquillity in the hustle and bustle
This is the experience visitors to the Sulwhasoo Spa in South Korea have. It is an oasis of tranquillity and regeneration in the Lotte Hotel Seoul, which, as one of the nation’s leading luxury business hotels, is always bustling with activity. The hotel has 1,015 rooms, restaurants, shopping facilities, event venues, even an in-house museum, and is located a stone’s throw from many tourist attractions. These undoubtedly include the Myeong-dong district, highly frequented both by day and by night, with its numerous shopping centres, boutiques, restaurants and the Namdaemun Market, the city’s largest and most traditional. Euljiro Street offers industrial flair, inspired by both regional history and the emerging spirit of urban visionaries. In addition, a walk along the Cheonggyecheon is worthwhile: The river, once covered over but revived in the early 2000s, makes its way through the middle of Seoul, ten kilometres in length, carrying fascinating stories with it.
Holistic regeneration as a design concept
In the Sulwhasoo Spa, however, guests focus entirely inward. The clay-plastered walls of the waiting area give off a sense of tranquillity that is transmitted quite naturally to the people all around. This is part of the design concept of architect Jong Kim, who always pays close attention to the various qualities of his building materials. With the wellness oasis, the Korean created a place that, by its very nature, brings its visitors into harmony and balance. There are seven areas, all of which lead to this balance in their own way: from “inflow” – the entrance, where the special atmosphere surrounds the visitor for the first time – to “consult”, in other words, the choice of suitable spa treatments, to “feel & experience” as a physical and mental experience and “reminiscence”, the phase of the most holistic regeneration possible. Fittingly, the Korean artisans of Architerre carried out the earthen clay work. The building-physiological advantages of clay earth, this all-around natural building material, unfold fully at the Sulwhasoo Spa.
Read more »Relaxing flair within clay plaster walls
YOSIMA Clay designer plaster covers the interior walls of the lounge area in the Sulwhasoo Spa. The chosen colour – KOLUMBA-GRAY – impresses relaxation on the observer purely due to the clay which lends it that colour tone. It forms a pleasant alternative to other colour tones, such as clinical, glaring white or other nuanced colours that can quickly appear unnatural. The absence of additives or pigments in this high-quality clay product emphasises the purity of the entire environment. This creates and embodies the ideal conditions for the mental state of the spa visitor as well. The pure composition of the design plaster from only natural ingredients, clay and earth, makes the connection between humans and the elements tangible. And at the Sulwhasoo Spa, these healing effects can freely unfold.
Share your experience
Back to overview
Back to Discoverie Description
Share what you experienced during your visit:
Other discoveries in this region: