Yes! Send me the FREE digital editions of Spa Business and Spa Business insider magazines and the FREE weekly Spa Business and Spa Business insider ezines and breaking news alerts!
TechnoAlpin’s snow technology is not only an effective
way to introduce gentle cold therapy into the spa
environment, it’s also a powerful biophilic design
element that can bring the wonder of nature indoors
The ‘cold with joy’ spa concept combines different forms of water, including falling snow / photo: Giuliana Salmaso
The mental and physical benefits of spending time in awe-inspiring nature – from forest bathing to hot spring dipping to watching the Aurora Borealis – are well documented. But while growing numbers of people are out enjoying the latest ‘nature trends’, the fact remains that a significant majority, especially city dwellers, could be spending up to 90 per cent of their time indoors.
With great advances in biophilic design – where designers and architects bring natural elements into the built environment – there has never been a better time for wellness facilities to become the places where customers can get a whole range of realistic and beneficial ‘nature fixes’ however and whenever they want.
Giuliana Salmaso, architect and founder of Studio Giuliana Salmaso and an expert in biophilic design, says: “Today it’s possible to create indoor environments that rejuvenate almost as much as a walk in the woods. Our goal is to create spaces where stress-inducing elements are neutralised and regenerative components are maximised.”
These design concepts go way beyond just the introduction of plants and greenery, of course. The Tuscany-based studio recently collaborated with leading snow creators TechnoAlpin Indoor – also based in Italy – to create a multi-sensory biophilic wellness space focused on the cold therapy journey.
The ‘cold with joy’ concept is based around centuries-old contrast therapy, inspired by ancient Roman and Kneipp practices. Salmaso’s design guides visitors through warm and cold elements, different forms of water and snow, making the cold experience enjoyable and accessible without the sudden shock of intense temperature change.
Salmaso says: ”I wanted to capture that feeling of wellbeing, intimacy, happiness and calmness that one experiences when watching snow fall. This was made possible with TechnoAlpin’s technology that generates soft indoor snow, filling different areas of the spa with the enchanting sight of crisp and freshly-fallen snow.”
Fresh powder snow TechnoAlpin’s Snowsky is the technology that produces this real snowfall in the middle of a room. For even greater immersion, TechnoAlpin’s Snowroom offers a holistic way for guests to cool down, especially after a sauna or steamroom session, enveloping them in an engaging cave-like atmosphere of cold air and soft snow.
The Snowroom is cooled to -10° C (14°F) and filled with real snow,made from only water and air.
Fresh snow is made every night, so clean powder snow is ready every morning to delight guests. The entire body cools down efficiently and gently: the respiratory tract and lungs, organs and brain cells cool down at a slow pace and the skin is cooled over the entire surface without any damage to the tissues.
Sara Brenninger of TechnoAlpin says: “Snow is the gentlest version of cooling and can be enjoyed by both men and women of any age. The benefits of cold therapy are made accessible to all, without the shock or dizziness that many would like to avoid.”
Snow also ticks many of the right boxes for an effective biophilic design environment. As Salmaso says: “A well-designed restorative space should incorporate as many biophilic patterns as possible. An innovative approach is integrating snow, which provides thermal variability when combined with warm elements such as a sauna.
“The integration of snow in an indoor spa environment covers at least four of the 15 biophilic design patterns. Snow is a biophilic element that designers can use, just like water, plants and animals. It’s fascinating – a form of water – and engages all the senses.”
With advances in technology, indoor snow can become a special highlight for luxury wellness and spa areas – a new way of cooling down that guests will remember.
"Today it’s possible to create indoor environments that rejuvenate almost as much as a walk in the woods" – Giuliana Salmaso, biophilic design expert
Read more from this issue of Spa Business magazine
View contents of Spa Business 2024 issue 3
Editor's letter: At a crossroads
As the UK prepares to host this year's Global Wellness Summit, fresh research shows its wellness industry must address a number of issues if it's to maintain levels of unprecedented growth
Spa People: Charlotte Church
The Welsh singer talks about how growing up in the media spotlight has influenced The Dreaming, her healing retreat business
Spa People: Julia Bradbury
Leading a series of Walk Yourself Happy retreats based on her best-selling book and years of TV presenting
Spa People: Samantha Dunn
Shaking up the industry with her new, affordable DIY consultancy programme for entrepreneurs
News report: Big spenders
Finn Partners’ latest research shows how China’s high-net-worth women are redefining luxury travel
News report: Step back in time
Two new GWI reports analyse the growth of the global spa and hot springs markets over the past 10 to 15 years
Interview: Dillip Rajakarier
Following a 450 per cent increase in core revenues, Minor Hotels is planning 200 more properties. Megan Whitby sits down with its CEO
New opening: Kintsugi Space
Patrizia Bortolin talks to Lisa Starr about creating a transformative women-only sanctuary in Abu Dhabi
Research: To inform and inspire
The UK Spa Association has conducted its first survey of spa businesses in the country for 18 years. GM Bobby Griffiths unveils the numbers
Research: From wellness to wellbeing
A new study uncovers four wellness consumer market segments ripe for innovation. WELLSurvey co-author Kevin Kelly reveals the findings in a Spa Business exclusive
First person: To the source
Jane Kitchen takes to the sulphurous waters of Terme di Saturnia in Italy and shares details about its exciting upcoming sister site in Milan
Promotion: L'OCCITANE en Provence – the art of recovery
With an approach to wellbeing that’s both holistic and grounded in science, the latest massage from L’OCCITANE en Provence promises to have a powerfully-beneficial effect on customers, both in the spa and at home
New opening: Surrenne at The Emory
The £15k memberships at this wellness club in London sold out in just weeks. Creator Inge Theron tells us why
First person: Playful wellness
A Stella McCartney facial and Tracy Anderson studio are just two USPs Megan Whitby finds at Surrenne
Promotion: TechnoAlpin – naturally cool design
TechnoAlpin’s snow technology is not only an effective way to introduce gentle cold therapy into the spa environment, it’s also a powerful biophilic design element that can bring the wonder of nature indoors
Promotion: Biologique Recherche – potent partnership
A new anti-senescence serum from Biologique Recherche offers transformative results and raises the bar in anti-ageing skincare when combined with its iconic collagen formula
Promotion: Comfort Zone – A longer life for skin
Created to combat the visible signs of ageing, Comfort Zone’s latest range revamp is based on the company’s pioneering research into cutaneous cellular longevity
Promotion: G.M. COLLIN – Clinical excellence in skincare
With laboratories based in Montreal, G.M. Collin’s highly researched derma-corrective treatments have been helping skincare professionals deliver exceptional and exclusive results worldwide for many decades. We talk to VP Myriam Sayer
The MSpa Oslo series is a perennial bestseller in global markets. With innovative
engineering and premium performance, this completely portable spa line-up is expertly
designed to meet the needs of customers worldwide. [more...]
TechnoAlpin’s snow technology is not only an effective
way to introduce gentle cold therapy into the spa
environment, it’s also a powerful biophilic design
element that can bring the wonder of nature indoors
The ‘cold with joy’ spa concept combines different forms of water, including falling snow / photo: Giuliana Salmaso
The mental and physical benefits of spending time in awe-inspiring nature – from forest bathing to hot spring dipping to watching the Aurora Borealis – are well documented. But while growing numbers of people are out enjoying the latest ‘nature trends’, the fact remains that a significant majority, especially city dwellers, could be spending up to 90 per cent of their time indoors.
With great advances in biophilic design – where designers and architects bring natural elements into the built environment – there has never been a better time for wellness facilities to become the places where customers can get a whole range of realistic and beneficial ‘nature fixes’ however and whenever they want.
Giuliana Salmaso, architect and founder of Studio Giuliana Salmaso and an expert in biophilic design, says: “Today it’s possible to create indoor environments that rejuvenate almost as much as a walk in the woods. Our goal is to create spaces where stress-inducing elements are neutralised and regenerative components are maximised.”
These design concepts go way beyond just the introduction of plants and greenery, of course. The Tuscany-based studio recently collaborated with leading snow creators TechnoAlpin Indoor – also based in Italy – to create a multi-sensory biophilic wellness space focused on the cold therapy journey.
The ‘cold with joy’ concept is based around centuries-old contrast therapy, inspired by ancient Roman and Kneipp practices. Salmaso’s design guides visitors through warm and cold elements, different forms of water and snow, making the cold experience enjoyable and accessible without the sudden shock of intense temperature change.
Salmaso says: ”I wanted to capture that feeling of wellbeing, intimacy, happiness and calmness that one experiences when watching snow fall. This was made possible with TechnoAlpin’s technology that generates soft indoor snow, filling different areas of the spa with the enchanting sight of crisp and freshly-fallen snow.”
Fresh powder snow TechnoAlpin’s Snowsky is the technology that produces this real snowfall in the middle of a room. For even greater immersion, TechnoAlpin’s Snowroom offers a holistic way for guests to cool down, especially after a sauna or steamroom session, enveloping them in an engaging cave-like atmosphere of cold air and soft snow.
The Snowroom is cooled to -10° C (14°F) and filled with real snow,made from only water and air.
Fresh snow is made every night, so clean powder snow is ready every morning to delight guests. The entire body cools down efficiently and gently: the respiratory tract and lungs, organs and brain cells cool down at a slow pace and the skin is cooled over the entire surface without any damage to the tissues.
Sara Brenninger of TechnoAlpin says: “Snow is the gentlest version of cooling and can be enjoyed by both men and women of any age. The benefits of cold therapy are made accessible to all, without the shock or dizziness that many would like to avoid.”
Snow also ticks many of the right boxes for an effective biophilic design environment. As Salmaso says: “A well-designed restorative space should incorporate as many biophilic patterns as possible. An innovative approach is integrating snow, which provides thermal variability when combined with warm elements such as a sauna.
“The integration of snow in an indoor spa environment covers at least four of the 15 biophilic design patterns. Snow is a biophilic element that designers can use, just like water, plants and animals. It’s fascinating – a form of water – and engages all the senses.”
With advances in technology, indoor snow can become a special highlight for luxury wellness and spa areas – a new way of cooling down that guests will remember.
"Today it’s possible to create indoor environments that rejuvenate almost as much as a walk in the woods" – Giuliana Salmaso, biophilic design expert
Read more from this issue of Spa Business magazine
View contents of Spa Business 2024 issue 3
Editor's letter: At a crossroads
As the UK prepares to host this year's Global Wellness Summit, fresh research shows its wellness industry must address a number of issues if it's to maintain levels of unprecedented growth
Spa People: Charlotte Church
The Welsh singer talks about how growing up in the media spotlight has influenced The Dreaming, her healing retreat business
Spa People: Julia Bradbury
Leading a series of Walk Yourself Happy retreats based on her best-selling book and years of TV presenting
Spa People: Samantha Dunn
Shaking up the industry with her new, affordable DIY consultancy programme for entrepreneurs
News report: Big spenders
Finn Partners’ latest research shows how China’s high-net-worth women are redefining luxury travel
News report: Step back in time
Two new GWI reports analyse the growth of the global spa and hot springs markets over the past 10 to 15 years
Interview: Dillip Rajakarier
Following a 450 per cent increase in core revenues, Minor Hotels is planning 200 more properties. Megan Whitby sits down with its CEO
New opening: Kintsugi Space
Patrizia Bortolin talks to Lisa Starr about creating a transformative women-only sanctuary in Abu Dhabi
Research: To inform and inspire
The UK Spa Association has conducted its first survey of spa businesses in the country for 18 years. GM Bobby Griffiths unveils the numbers
Research: From wellness to wellbeing
A new study uncovers four wellness consumer market segments ripe for innovation. WELLSurvey co-author Kevin Kelly reveals the findings in a Spa Business exclusive
First person: To the source
Jane Kitchen takes to the sulphurous waters of Terme di Saturnia in Italy and shares details about its exciting upcoming sister site in Milan
Promotion: L'OCCITANE en Provence – the art of recovery
With an approach to wellbeing that’s both holistic and grounded in science, the latest massage from L’OCCITANE en Provence promises to have a powerfully-beneficial effect on customers, both in the spa and at home
New opening: Surrenne at The Emory
The £15k memberships at this wellness club in London sold out in just weeks. Creator Inge Theron tells us why
First person: Playful wellness
A Stella McCartney facial and Tracy Anderson studio are just two USPs Megan Whitby finds at Surrenne
Promotion: TechnoAlpin – naturally cool design
TechnoAlpin’s snow technology is not only an effective way to introduce gentle cold therapy into the spa environment, it’s also a powerful biophilic design element that can bring the wonder of nature indoors
Promotion: Biologique Recherche – potent partnership
A new anti-senescence serum from Biologique Recherche offers transformative results and raises the bar in anti-ageing skincare when combined with its iconic collagen formula
Promotion: Comfort Zone – A longer life for skin
Created to combat the visible signs of ageing, Comfort Zone’s latest range revamp is based on the company’s pioneering research into cutaneous cellular longevity
Promotion: G.M. COLLIN – Clinical excellence in skincare
With laboratories based in Montreal, G.M. Collin’s highly researched derma-corrective treatments have been helping skincare professionals deliver exceptional and exclusive results worldwide for many decades. We talk to VP Myriam Sayer
Synergy – The Retreat Show, the global trade show for retreats, has launched a global research
initiative that will provide insights into the retreat sector from both consumer and industry
perspectives.
The Wellness Tourism Association (WTA) has published a non-regulatory global industry
framework designed to ensure the retreat market offers responsible experiences.
A new survey of UK and international spa practitioners shows that stress, burnout and
wellbeing concerns have caused one in three respondents to consider leaving the industry.
The UK's four Chief Medical Officers have published a refreshed edition of Physical activity
guidelines: UK Chief Medical Officers' report, updating the evidence that underpins the nation's
physical activity recommendations and placing greater emphasis on strength, balance, reducing
sedentary behaviour and, for the first time, supporting people taking weight loss medications.
Anna Bjurstam has left her role as Wellness Pioneer at Six Senses Hotels and Resorts and
launched a new wellness, longevity and “consciousness consultancy” called Wahayla.
Fairmont Cheshire, The Mere, has opened today (10 July) in the Northwest of England
with a
1,715sq m Fairmont Spa that has been designed using a ‘Wellness without Walls’
concept.
Wellness hotels generating less than US$1 million (€932,700, £785,200) – or 10 per cent of
total revenue from wellness and leisure – recorded the strongest RevPAR and TRevPAR growth
in 2025 across categories when compared with 2024, according to the latest Wellness Real
Estate Report by RLA Global, produced in partnership with P and L benchmarking firm HotStats.
Lefay Resorts, the portfolio of two luxury wellness properties in Italy, has added emotional
dance classes and group cold plunge sessions in response to market demand for social
connection.
The MSpa Oslo series is a perennial bestseller in global markets. With innovative
engineering and premium performance, this completely portable spa line-up is expertly
designed to meet the needs of customers worldwide. [more...]
