Gala Wellness Centre and Spa: Rustic, minimalistic and contemporary

The abundant use of arches in its design makes the Gala Wellness Centre and Spa look like frames of a contemporary piece of art. At the same time, the raw wooden table, the full-moon shaped wooden door knobs and the louvre doors with a rough texture, are oddly reminiscent of nature. 

The month of love is here, and what better way to feel love and care, than having a spa day? Such spaces are so relaxing, it almost feels like the only space in the world where you can catch a break and nurture your soul. To create such an ambience, spas put extra emphasis on cultivating an experience on top of their services, which is why interior design plays such a vital role. 

"To create a wellness centre and spa, the first thing to keep in mind is that the space and ambience should mentally and psychologically relax and slow you down," said architect Rafia Mariam Ahmed.

Rafia, the architect behind the design of Gala Wellness Centre and Spa, set out to create an experience Bangladeshis hardly came across locally. 

"When we were thinking about the wellness centre, I told Rafia that I wanted an environment that would help people enter a zen state of mind," said Navin Ahmed, co-owner of the Gala Wellness Centre and Spa. "I knew Rafia would bring my vision to life with her earthy, modern ethnic signature style." 

"The space boasts a charming blend of wooden furniture, rattans, and neutral colour palettes, flooded with natural light. It accentuates a warm and inviting ambience, to relax the body and soul. Our clients absolutely love it and can't stop talking about it," she added. 

The spa is on the first floor, with a salon and makeover studio on the ground floor. Right above the staircase, the wellness centre greets visitors with its rustic feel, minimalistic decor, and essence of contemporary Bangladesh.

A contemporary reflection of Bangladesh

Spas are expected to ease you out of reality, and many have tried to do this by creating glamorous spaces to instil a feeling of grandeur. Others borrow architectural styles from different countries to create the feeling of a mini vacation. However, when starting this project, both Ahmed and Rafia wanted the space to be a reflection of where we are. 

They also wanted to show how our local culture can be soothing, minimalist and presented in a  contemporary format.

"Navin and I both wanted neutral tones and a space where there are ethnic elements. I also wanted the space to reflect where you are. That is why we used the hand-woven cane elements and wooden details. These elements come from our roots," commented Rafia.

The combination of the client's vision and the architect's creativity shaped a space that engages your five senses, utilises local craftsmanship, and gives people an opportunity to momentarily stop and appreciate our own culture.

The wellness centre achieves this mostly through the materials and elements that were used in its design, primarily wood and cane. One of the most unique pieces are the lanterns that greet you at the entrance. 

The lanterns are large, made from hand-woven canes and placed in multiple layers. They serve as decor pieces for both the entrance and the second floor because of their height and scale. 

As Rafia explained, "If we put them all in the same layer, then the space below it would be empty. With layered lanterns, when you look at it from different angles, they look different each time."

Lighting and functionality

One of the objectives was to create a calming space, and lighting is one of the key elements for creating such an ambiance. Many of the woven lanterns seen in the spa were all custom-made and hand-woven by local artisans with this specific function in mind. 

Rafia's design plays with warm and bright lights, depending on space and function. She kept the bright lights for where the service requires it, letting dim lights take over waiting areas. 

"The lanterns in the spa room are a bit wider so that the light disperses over the client. The light is also brighter to help staff, working on facials and waxes, see better details. In the waiting area, the light is dimmer as it is more of a space to welcome you," said Rafia.

"If you think about a sunset, imagine you're sitting on the beach and looking at it, that dim light relaxes you because it's the end of the day. On the other hand, the daylight is whiter and harsher and it energises you," she added. 

Moreover, in their service rooms, you will find slivers of sunlight peeking through, eerily similar to the cosy, late-afternoon sunlight. This comes from the windows that are designed to soften the light entering the space, that puts you in the headspace that it is always late afternoon, the best time to laze around.

"It was to allow soft light to enter through the windows instead of blocking them permanently, and also for privacy," explained Rafia. 

Immersive experience

A space that the clients really love is the manicure and pedicure area, because it is set right next to a wall of glass, looking out over a beautiful green lawn. 

As Rafia explained, "The manicure-pedicure area is well-lit with natural light, and there is a lawn right next to the space. So psychologically you will feel refreshed by being close to nature while receiving your service."

Moreover, to help clients immerse themselves in the calming ambiance, the architect used a neutral colour palette and minimalist decor.

"The neutral tones should pull you towards the earth and calm you," she said.

The neutral colours do not challenge the eye with bright tones, but the gaze is always engaged with the rustic decor. To prevent the minimalist decor from becoming monotone, Rafia plays with textures throughout the space. 

"Textures always make a space more interesting. If you have something smooth and polished, you might appreciate it, but your interest in it will not grow. But in the case of textures, you will likely want to touch them and know more about them. When you are working with fewer materials, if you can design your space with such elements, it makes the area more interesting."

She achieves this by creating a rustic feel. Instead of sanding everything down to smooth surfaces and topping them with high-shine polishes, every component is left with their original textures. Even from afar, you can tell the pottery used as decoration is asymmetrical and textured.