Rejuvenation and Relaxation – Alba Thermal Springs & Spa by Hayball

Built upon the foundations of authenticity, respect, connectivity and sustainability, Alba Thermal Springs & Spa draws from its Mornington Peninsula setting to produce the quintessential wellness destination. The structure moves with the natural fall of the surrounding landscape and employs raw materials to carve out a space for rejuvenation and relaxation.

Designed by Hayball, Alba embodies minimal sculpted design to closely align with the terrain. Quietly emerging from the landscape, the structure follows the natural hillside, the position of the building integral to ensuring limited removal of native vegetation and minimal site interference.

Quietly emerging from the landscape, the structure follows the natural hillside, the position of the building integral to ensuring limited removal of native vegetation and minimal site interference.

The structure is engulfed in robust raw concrete, which allows the exterior of the building to blend seamlessly with its surrounds. The façade features ribbed textures, bronze glass and metallic finishes, which further articulate the building’s sense of balance within the local environment. The building also follows a curved floor plan; a circular motif is then echoed throughout all aspects of the design, including a spiral staircase that rises from a reflective indoor pool. The interior is characterised by rounded windows and large skylights that punctuate the space with light, as well as a feature wall crafted from handmade Spanish brick tiles. Curved concrete walls also speak to the building’s connection to nature, creating curated moments of light and shadow.

The space’s reflective atmosphere is created using a sensory, textured material palette alongside natural tonal hues. Concrete pillars and flooring are tempered with moments of timber, and the landscape is further drawn inwards through the use of bottlebrush seed pods, gumnuts and seashells within the relaxation lounge and treatment rooms.

The structure is engulfed in robust raw concrete, which allows the exterior of the building to blend seamlessly with its surrounds.

The wellness and bathing centre caters for up to 400 guests and features 32 pools – including geothermal pools, cold plunge pools and herbal-infused botanical pools – 22 treatment rooms, changing rooms and a boutique spa treatment suite and relaxation lounge as well as the restaurant, Thyme, which is situated at the heart of the structure. All buildings and pathways, as well as many of the bathing pools, are designed for wheelchair access. Alba’s geothermal water is extracted from a natural spring 600metres below ground, and the bathing experience is found via a meandering stone pathway that encourages intuitive way finding. Appearing modestly within the landscape, each pool has been designed with consideration towards encompassing interaction with the landscape, the seasons and the area’s microclimate. The circular pools sit around a central water feature, whose flow is deliberately programmed to imitate the local tide. The more formal botanical pools are hidden within tea-tree vegetation, while more shallow pools lie low to enable reclining, submerging and gazing up to the sky.

Hayball has crafted a sanctuary for quiet and luxurious reflection, employing considered material and an innate understanding of the environment. With restorative resolve, Alba Thermal Springs& Spa embodies holistic design not only for the promotion of well-being but also its lasting results.