SPActre

The current digital age jams all the senses of the individual preventing them enjoying their surroundings. Nowadays people are trapped in mechanical cities with very limited access to pure nature. Schierke, a small town near the Brocken mountain in the Harz region in German provides an excellent escape for these people. Therefore harvesting the quietness and nature in Schierke played an active role in the design of this spa. This project is inspired by the local legend called the?Brocken Spectre?, which is a phenomenon that appears as a magnified shadow of an observer, cast upon the upper surfaces of clouds opposite the sun, where the head of the shadow is surrounded with coloured rings. In this design the extensive research of the program is a leading element. The target is to achieve a spiritual experience by focusing on body & soul separately. Three sizes of rings are defined for this to happen. The largest ring represents the public space, the middle sized ring represents the group space and the small ring represents the individual space. The rings are composed in such a way that the middle part of the building (the entrance) is focused on the individual, and the wings are focussed on the group activities. This composition formed the base for the plans that acted like a ?circular grid?. The ground floor of the complex is mainly occupied by the fast, public activities like the restaurant, library and swimming pool. The first floor is mainly occupied by the relatively slow functions like the workshops and classes (soul) on the east wing and wellness and saunas (body) on the west wing. The second floor gives space for the individual to meditate and enjoy your inner spirit and the nature surrounding you The greenery of the forest and the flowing water of the Kalte Bode are playing an important role in stimulating the six senses of the individual in a social environment and providing a spiritual experience by touching to the sight, the hearing, the taste, the smell an the touch. The Building is integrated with its environment by the multiple outside spaces with balconies and water that seems to flow from the inside to the outside. The material used to create in the building is mainly local wood and concrete accompanied by natural stone on the inside.