Wellness Spotlight – Retreats and Experiences

Words by Brett Winchester
Photography by Romello Pereira

Soma Byron by Gary Gorrow, George Gorrow and Rieky Sunur

 

Intended as a place of escape for the soul, Soma is a two-storey timber and galvanised steel building situated in its own patch of forest. Designed by Gary Gorrow and his brother George with the help of Balinese architect Rieky Sunur, the retreat offers wellness experiences for groups and individuals, along with private rental. Gary Gorrow leads the retreats, where guests learn to become self-sufficient in Vedic meditation, a practice that reduces stress and anxiety while increasing energy and focus. The 10-bedroom and bathroom ‘built sculpture’ offers guests privacy and closeness to nature. Floor-to-ceiling windows frame views over the rolling hills beyond, while extensive outdoor spaces encourage spending time outside. Meditation and yoga classes are taken in the geodesic dome hidden behind a wall of bamboo trees, a space for disconnecting from the outer world and connecting in harmony and balance with oneself.

Adytum is crafted from a natural palette, with bricks and moulding constructed using building waste and materials from the Blue Mountains-based Natural Brick Co, and homing in on sustainable workmanship that creates an invitation to relaxation of the highest form.

Adytum Spa and Wellness Retreat by Pattern Studio

 

The flagship location of Adytum Spa and Wellness Retreat opened in late 2021 in Australia’s capital city, offering an extensive range of wellness services with a dedicated retail space and cafe. Designed with Sydney studio Pattern, Adytum delivers a balanced space for guests to experience an array of wellness and beauty treatments, including individual manicure pods, private treatment suites, infra-red sauna and a spacious Japanese-inspired bathhouse. Adytum is crafted from a natural palette, with bricks and moulding constructed using building waste and materials from the Blue Mountains-based Natural Brick Co, and homing in on sustainable workmanship that creates an invitation to relaxation of the highest form. Throughout the fit-out, Australian-designed and made furniture and light fixtures from Volker Haug Studio and grazia&co complete Adytum’s multi-functional spaces, offering clients an integration of ancient wisdom and modern practice to elevate the state of both body and mind.

Aro Hā by Tennent Brown Architects

 

A purpose designed and built luxury yoga and wellness retreat, Aro Hā is nestled in the heart of New Zealand’s Southern Alps, nurturing guests with an experience for the discovery of the self. Through collaboration with Tennent Brown Architects, owner Damian Chaparro used his background as a yoga instructor to create a place focused on physical, emotional and spiritual wholeness and the cultivation of supportive daily habits. During six- or eight-day programs, guests are awoken to the wistful ring of Tibetan bowls before connecting with nature from the luxurious yet pared-back accommodations and through guided mountain hikes. Overlooking the Southern Alps, a sauna and spa waits for guests to unwind and let their souls relax. Mindfulness, bodywork, nourishing seasonal meals and an immersion in nature helps guests to embrace the Aro Hā philosophy and walk a path of wellbeing.

Licht Architecture took cues from Derby’s contrasting history – a booming tin mining area before becoming a veritable ghost town for decades, and then bouncing back to a thriving destination with world-class mountain bike trails.

Floating Sauna by Licht Architecture

 

On Tasmania’s Briseis Hole, Floating Sauna is a unique place for ultimate isolation, relaxation and full immersion in nature. After driving through winding hills to get to Derby, visitors have a small trek through the scenic Blue Derby Trail Network before arriving at the sensory experience that awaits them. The shed-like pavilions that float on a pontoon are connected to the shore by a pedestrian bridge, while the dramatic backdrop of quarry cliffs and rainforest rises above. Licht Architecture took cues from Derby’s contrasting history – a booming tin mining area before becoming a veritable ghost town for decades, and then bouncing back to a thriving destination with world-class mountain bike trails. The materials of the black and white gabled sheds reflect their function, with the dark recessive burnt larch offering solitude and privacy for the sauna contrasted against a light-filled changing pavilion that casts subtle silhouettes through the Ampelite cladding. Nigel Reeves, who created the Floating Sauna, brought the Finnish wood sauna together with the idea of reconnecting with nature and disconnecting from technology. With a sense of leaving the land for the water and immersing oneself in the landscape, the sauna on – and cold-water therapy in – the lake offers guests the chance of solitude and reflection while detoxing the body and improving circulation.

Willow Urban Retreat by MEME Design

 

Willow Urban Retreat offers clientele a regeneration of soul, body and mind. A holistic approach is Willow’s guide to giving clientele the means to travel beyond the traditional confines of a day spa. Including a yoga studio and wholefoods cafe that can also be used for educational means, the spaces have all been designed to create nourishment, inspiration and wholeness. For interior designer Megan Hounslow, the overall goal for Willow was to offer a city retreat transcendent of the chaos and stressors of urban living, offering guests respite, connection and knowledge. Willow’s dedicated spaces seek to provide a nurturing experience for guests, from having a purified air system to non-toxic, ethically sourced building materials and a crystal grid lovingly set into the foundation. Materials are kept minimal, adding simplicity, purity and restraint to the interior, while finishes are understated, natural and robust. Willow Urban Retreat invites guests to step away from a busy schedule to indulge themselves through luxurious treatments and reconnect with the cycles of life and nature.

Comma reminds guests to take a moment and breathe amid the rush of modern life.

Comma by Susie McIntosh and Eloise Fotheringham

 

Comma reminds guests to take a moment and breathe amid the rush of modern life. Originally founded in Byron Bay, the Melbourne location, Comma’s most recent addition, is identified by a moodier, more urban aesthetic. Yet some elements from the coastally-influenced Byron space are retained in the use of brassware, sharp edges and cosy massage tables. Believing in the healing power of touch, the Cremorne-based studio offers a range of massage therapies and also houses a healing 18,000 litre magnesium-infused cedar tub. Following the values of solitude and stillness, architect Eloise Fotheringham and owner Susie McIntosh travelled to Japan to learn from the country that originated a bathing culture. From a seamless check-in to Japanese indigo robes, weighted blankets and ginger-infused teas, every detail ensures adding to the guests’ experience. Through the design aesthetic, Comma creates an atmosphere of renewal, so when it comes to leaving, guests are set with a new perspective to tackle the outside world.