Maritim Hotel SPA, Balaclava, Mauritius
Cost of the Project : 1,250,000
Built-up area : 750 Sq.m
(In case of public building minimum built-up area should be 1000 sq.meter)

Description of Project :

The Flower Spa is the heart of the Maritim Spa located in the Maritim Hotel on the west coast of Mauritius. The spa was created to provide a unique concept for a tropical spa. The concept was based on guests choosing from four or five indigenous flowers which are blended in front of the guests…totally organic and highly effective. This concept resulted in the spa design evolving as a village grouped around a luscious flower garden. The consultation pavilion became the garden temple where guests come face to face with the flower concept.

The spa consists of a village of buildings including:

Reception centre and management offices
6nos. Single treatment rooms
Guest changing and private sauna facilities
Dry treatment pavilion
Hair salon and Manicure/Bridal suites
2nos. Double treatment rooms
Wet treatment pavilion
Relaxation lounge behind a waterfall

The spa village is divided into outer and inner sanctuaries. Both are protected by gates. The first gate is always open leading the client into the first sanctuary. The facilities in this part of the spa include the reception, salon, manicure/bridal suites, changing facilities and the wet treatment pavilion. This latter pavilion has views out into the inner sanctuary, with views of the pond and waterfall, but no direct access. Entry to the inner sanctuary is available to clients who have selected their flower treatment and are allowed into this area through the second gate with the consultation pavilion and treatment rooms beyond. A sense of mystery is achieved.

The various buildings that form the spa village each have their own appropriate design with airy treatment spaces. All are grouped around a pond which is fed by a feature waterfall behind which can be found a relaxing lounge. The consultation pavilion is flanked by beds of the specially been chosen for the various treatments available to the clients.

Materials Of Construction Details :

The materials used through all the buildings of the spa village are consistent with each other, apart from the consultation pavilion, although the building forms change to suite each activity. All buildings are thatched with sugar cane thatch, yet the  treatment rooms are air conditioned rooms with large glazed openings leading onto private gardens, the wet treatment area is a large covered amphitheatre veranda open to the flower garden beyond, and the dry treatment pavilion is a circular structure providing an ideal yoga and stretching pavilion on the edge of the central pond. The relaxation pavilion is cut into a hillside and the curved open facade which steps down into the central pond is the washed by a feature waterfall cascading from the hillside behind the building.

The basic materials of local field stone and sugar cane thatch are natural materials found in Mauritius. The field stone is not quarried but is cut from surface boulders or is brought to site as flat slabs which have been dug from just under the surface of cane fields. These stones are then worked by local craftsmen who can still be found on the island of Mauritius. The sugar cane thatch is a bi-product of the sugar cane industry. The thatch is cut from the top of the sugar cane and is today dipped into a fire retardant treatment before being woven onto the timber roof structures.

Special Features :

One of the exciting features of the spa village is the wet treatment area. This amphitheatre has a panoramic view on the flower garden and houses the relaxation pool, sauna, hammam and wet treatment rooms. The entrance to this facility is on the middle level of the stepped amphitheatre with the pool and pool deck 45cms below and the wet treatment facilities 45cms above. The wet treatment rooms are local field stone clad nautilus shell forms creating private rooms at the back of the facility. The hammam and the sauna have small private gardens which open out from the back of the upper level of the wet treatment area and the whole facility has views from every part of the amphitheatre onto the flower garden, pond and waterfall. Another iconic building is the consultation pavilion which is constructed as a timber temple sitting on the entrance axis of the spa. This pavilion sits behind the second gate of the spa and is a timber post and beam construction sitting on the edge of the pond and flanked by beds of the specially selected flowers which are used in the massage oil blends.