Silver Architecture, Building and Structure Design · 2025
Arctic Aurora Spa Retreat
by Yan Wang
- A' Design Award 2025 Silver Winner in Architecture, Building and Structure Design
- Awarded April 15, 2025
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 25,121
- Verification code C2527C9BD1 · Verify this award
About Arctic Aurora Spa Retreat
The Arctic Aurora is a sustainable spa, bathhouse, and guest retreat nestled in Bergen's mineral-rich countryside. Drawing inspiration from the Arctic aurora, the design channels the surrounding landscape into a tranquil inner sanctuary through its fluid, flowing form. Anchored by a simple circular geometry that enables water to move freely throughout the building, the program gradually shifts from public to private functions.
*Arctic Aurora Spa Retreat* by Yan Wang represents a distinguished achievement in contemporary wellness architecture, wherein the designer has orchestrated a profound dialogue between built form and natural landscape through the deployment of a spiraling elliptical structure that appears to emerge organically from its winter setting, the work participating in established traditions of organic modernism while advancing new possibilities for the integration of thermal sanctuary within extreme climate contexts, the compositional intelligence evident in the helical roof plane that descends in continuous motion toward a central oculus demonstrates sophisticated understanding of how architectural form might embody the very cyclical and spiral patterns observable in natural phenomena from galaxies to seashells to the aurora borealis that presumably illuminates this northern sky, the chromatic strategy proves particularly accomplished in its restraint, allowing the architecture to harmonize with the snow-covered terrain through its predominantly white palette while the warm amber glazing at the base introduces a note of thermal promise that suggests interior warmth radiating outward like a hearth within the frozen landscape, the three circular roof apertures arranged in diagonal progression invite contemplation of celestial mapping traditions and the human impulse to orient sacred and restorative spaces according to astronomical alignments, technical facility appears in the seamless continuity of the curved surfaces and the precision of the circular penetrations that would require considerable structural and construction expertise to realize, thematically the work engages enduring human desires for sanctuary, warmth, and connection with landscape while acknowledging the contemporary wellness movement's emphasis on holistic environmental experience, one might consider how the spiral form itself carries associations with journey, transformation, and the meditative path inward that characterizes spa retreat experience, inviting viewers to contemplate how architecture might embody the very processes of restoration and renewal it seeks to house.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- The Arctic Aurora Spa Rertreat is an eco-friendly spa, bathhouse, and guest retreat set in Bergen's mineral-rich countryside. Inspired by the aurora in the Arctic sky, the design filters the external world into an inner sanctuary through a fluid, flowing form. Following a simple circular geometry which allow water to flow freely throughou the building, the function gets increasingly private. The spatial expression also transitions from an open and communal to an intimate human-scale space.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- 80m x 80m x 10m
- Tags
- Bathhouse, Arctic, Landscape, Water, Concept, SPA, Retreat,
- Production Technology
- The building's structure is made of cross-laminated timber sourced from local forests, ensuring sustainability and a strong connection to its surroundings. The exterior walls are finished with white-dyed clay, while the roof and opaque walls incorporate high-performance vacuum insulation to enhance thermal efficiency. In areas with storefront glazing, triple-glazed insulated glass units (TGUs) provide excellent acoustic, thermal, and energy performance. For mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) systems, a geothermal pump is utilized for heating, further reinforcing the project's commitment to energy efficiency and environmental sustainability.
- Design Challenge
- Architectural tectonics and technology present the primary challenge, particularly in achieving energy efficiency and thermal performance under arctic conditions. Innovative materials such as TGU (triple-glazed laminated glass units) and vacuum-insulated panels have been explored to optimize thermal insulation, ensuring both environmental performance and thermal comfort within the bathhouse.
- Project Duration
- The project started in December 2021 in Bergen, Norwary
- Operation Flow
- The site is nestled in the rural landscape of Bergen, where the architectural composition is organized around a central atrium. Both circulation and thermal baths are choreographed along the perimeter of this opening, establishing a spatial sequence that blurs the boundary between interior and exterior. The stark contrast between the enclosed spaces and the surrounding nature, while maintaining a constant visual connection, offers guests a heightened sensorial experience.
- Research
- The project is rooted in the study of circulation and the spatial negotiation between public and private realms. The program of the bathhouse, encompassing lounge areas and gathering spaces, acts as a mediator along the gradient from intimate, secluded experiences to more communal, shared encounters.
- Inspiration
- The project is inspired by the aurora in the Arctic sky. It embraces the concepts of fluidity and flow, allowing water to move continuously throughout the bathhouse. The circulation path and function follow this natural movement, shaping the building into a circular form.
- Image Credits
- Yan Wang