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Philippe Starck, whose first company was set up to create inflatable objects in the 1960s
French designer Philippe Starck has created an ‘inflatable’ health club in Montpellier, France, by cladding the building with fluorine-based ETFE to create a bubble-like façade housing health and fitness facilities over five floors.
Opened in October 2014, the Le Nuage club includes a fitness studio and gym, swimming pool, café, children’s area, hairdressers and beauty salon. The striking interior features a range of Starck-designed furniture; the exterior can change colour with the use of external lighting.
Roxim, the developer, says the building was inspired by the gymnasiums developed into baths during the Greek and Roman times, which were designed to be places for both training and relaxation.
“The beauty and richness of life arises from diversity, translucency and projections,” says Starck. “This building is the opposite of an architectural gesture. It is a ‘nearly nothing’; an urban space, a chaotic and free town, a magic bubble; virtually indestructible, even though it only has the thickness of a few tenths of a millimetre. Le Nuage is a factory of energy for everyone and for the town of Montpellier.”
While something of Starck’s meaning may be lost in translation, the building speaks for itself. Unusually-designed health clubs are something of a rarity, and this one stands out. The exterior is striking, but doesn’t feel gimmicky, and the interior is original and welcoming.
In the fast-paced world of fitness and wellness, where high-intensity workouts push us to
our limits and the sweat pours, the importance of efficient recovery cannot be overstated. [more...]
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COMPANY PROFILES
Sothys Paris
Founded in 1946, Sothys is owned by the
Mas family. Chief executive Christian Mas
oversees the com [more...]
Philippe Starck, whose first company was set up to create inflatable objects in the 1960s
French designer Philippe Starck has created an ‘inflatable’ health club in Montpellier, France, by cladding the building with fluorine-based ETFE to create a bubble-like façade housing health and fitness facilities over five floors.
Opened in October 2014, the Le Nuage club includes a fitness studio and gym, swimming pool, café, children’s area, hairdressers and beauty salon. The striking interior features a range of Starck-designed furniture; the exterior can change colour with the use of external lighting.
Roxim, the developer, says the building was inspired by the gymnasiums developed into baths during the Greek and Roman times, which were designed to be places for both training and relaxation.
“The beauty and richness of life arises from diversity, translucency and projections,” says Starck. “This building is the opposite of an architectural gesture. It is a ‘nearly nothing’; an urban space, a chaotic and free town, a magic bubble; virtually indestructible, even though it only has the thickness of a few tenths of a millimetre. Le Nuage is a factory of energy for everyone and for the town of Montpellier.”
While something of Starck’s meaning may be lost in translation, the building speaks for itself. Unusually-designed health clubs are something of a rarity, and this one stands out. The exterior is striking, but doesn’t feel gimmicky, and the interior is original and welcoming.
Four Seasons Resort The Nam Hai in Hoi An, Vietnam, has put together a Global Wellness Day
(GWD) agenda with activations rooted in nature and shaped by four pillars of Joy – in
alignment with the day’s theme #JoyMagenta.
The Global Wellness Summit (GWS) will celebrate its 20th anniversary at the 2026 event in
Phuket, Thailand, later this year with the theme: The Science, Art and Soul of Wellness.
Auko, an all-inclusive development, is opening in Phong Nha in Vietnam in Q3 2026, with a
series of 30 tented eco-lodges and wellness hospitality operations by Lumina Wellbeing.
Therme Manchester’s 28-acre development, which will include interconnected glass pavilions
that measure 65,000sq m, will be the largest bathing and wellbeing attraction in the world once
complete, according to prof David Russell, CEO of Therme UK.
Naples Beach Club, a Four Seasons Resort, has opened a 2,800sq m spa called The Sanctuary,
with the design and concept inspired by the Native American people that populated Florida’s
Southwest coast – the Calusa.
Swire Hotels’ luxury hospitality brand Upper House has revealed it will roll out its two-day
House of Healing retreats at its three hotels in Hong Kong, Chengdu and Shanghai.
LVMH-owned beauty house Guerlain will launch up to five spas with partners a year as part of
its plan to expand globally, according to the brand’s international spa and wellness director,
Diane Davody.
A new global study by Kevin Kelly and Peter Yesawich, called WELLSurvey 2.0, has revealed
more than half of consumers in the UK, US and Germany would not choose numerous high-
profile wellness resort brands for a future trip.
In the fast-paced world of fitness and wellness, where high-intensity workouts push us to
our limits and the sweat pours, the importance of efficient recovery cannot be overstated. [more...]
+ More featured suppliers
COMPANY PROFILES
Sothys Paris Founded in 1946, Sothys is owned by the
Mas family. Chief executive Christian Mas
oversees the com [more...]
