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Creating an uplifting experience – underground. How designers turned a series of basement-level storage rooms under a new hotel into a serene escape.
By Matthew Hall
For centuries, the Augustinian monastery in Prague’s Malá Strana district attracted those seeking a spiritual transformation. But now that that 13th century monk’s retreat has become part of The Augustine, a new 101-room Rocco Forte hotel, it has also become a magnet for those seeking to refresh and rejuvenate their minds and bodies at its underground spa.
The hotel itself consists of seven stitched-together historical buildings, including the aforementioned monastery (hence the hotel’s name). The spa is located in the basement level of that crazy-quilt of buildings, in a string of former storage rooms. London-based RDD Plc. teamed with Rocco Forte’s in-house team headed by design director Olga Polizzi to repurpose that underused real estate as a new revenue generator.
The low ceilings throughout much of the 4,300-square-foot complex posed a major challenge. Several rooms required extensive excavation work to create sufficient headroom. “That problem was especially pronounced in the areas housing the treatment rooms and the Hammam/steam room areas, which had to be dug out from 3 to 5 feet,” says RDD director Jon O’Dwyer.
In addition, the space that became the spa “was a real rabbit warren of rooms, with lots of structural walls to contend with,” says O’Dwyer. But the disjointed nature of the space turned out to be a blessing in disguise, as it gave designers an opportunity to create several distinct -- but interrelated -- environments within a relatively compact space.
“We used a foundation of light colors and finishes to visually unify the space, and combined those elements with splashes of fresh, zingy colors to differentiate the various services offered by the spa,” O’Dwyer explains. Notable examples of that approach include the Hammam treatment room, with its soft-white glass wall mosaics with aqua and blue accents; and the relaxation area, defined by green leather benches with contrasting patterned cushions.
The end result, O’Dwyer says, is “a tranquil environment that’s quite in keeping with the site’s monastic heritage.”