This project involves the complete transformation of the interior structure and the one and only façade of the existing envelope of a 100 sq.m. wellness & aesthetics venue. The core idea was to create two robust curved vertical linear levels, developing from the frontage to the garden area, running through the entire space.
Rethinking The Future Awards 2024
Second Award | Interiors – Retail (Built)
Project Name: KALLOES | WELLNESS AND AESTHETICS VENUE
Category: Interiors – Retail (Built)
Studio Name: KAAF I Kitriniaris Associates Architecture Firm
Design Team: Alexandros Kitriniaris, Katerina Lampri, Fotini Douka
Area: 100sq.m.
Year: 2023
Location: Brussels, Belgium
Photography Credits: Yohann Fontaine
The first level occupies one side and its surface is cladded with eco-cement, whereas the second level occupies the opposite side and its surface is cladded with natural oak veneer. The two levels are connected by means of vertical fixed and sliding glass panels made of ribbed glass, an ideal solution for preserving privacy and underscoring the core idea of alternating light and shadows while using the spaces.
The functional modules include three treatment rooms, two of which in the storefront with a waiting area, whereas the third one is directly adjacent to the garden. The central reception area, changing rooms – WC and a kitchen are centrally arranged at the core of the venue.
The creation of wooden curves for vertical levels called for special models and wood-made prototypes on 1:1 scale, which were assembled at the factory, next de-assembled and delivered on the spot with an application deviation less than 0.1%. The new geometry created by curved surfaces produces a continuous perceptual flow of experiential motion, intensifying the multisensory experience of the space that is enhanced by the alternation of materials.
Coarseness of the concrete contrasts with affability and warmth of the natural oak wood, whereas the glass surfaces create an assumed discontinuity between the two materials, articulating the architectural composition at its intercept. Such a fragmentary perceptual experience is re-born through special structures such as wooden boudoirs with complex wooden curved endings, cylinders for product display with wooden vertical elements made of consecutive strips and bronze circular surfaces, metallic bronze showcases penetrating into wooden vertical planes, metal L-shaped bronze wall shelves, round mirrors, specially designed bronze table, wall and floor light fixtures and sculptural lamps suspended from the ceiling. The uniform solid wood flooring creates an undivided conceptual plane, hosting the architectural narrative. In this direction, the sense of wellness becomes anthropocentric, placing the human between two material conditions, promoting natural materials and the sustainable strategic importance of the project within the overall ecological approach of materials.
