Termalija Family Wellness

Text description provided by architects. Termalija Family Wellness is the latest in a series of projects we have built at Terme Olimia in the last 15 years and concludes the complete transformation of the complex from a classic wellness center built in the 1980s into a modern thermal spa for relaxation. The transformation was characterized by a gradual nature - each step was implemented in response to then-current needs and did not follow any prior development plan. In fact, every new building, whether by the investor or by us, has been the last.

The usual development of such complexes results in a series of extensions that slowly fill the space and do not hide their origin either in terms of period or design. We took a somewhat different approach in the renovation of Terme Olimia, and with each new building, we tried to improve the situation also in terms of urbanism. At the same time, we invested a lot of effort in the design of the buildings so that despite the new program being added every time, the buildings do not actually fill the space but connect it more with the surrounding nature.

The same applies to Termalija Family Wellness. The new facility is located on the site of the previous winter covering of the outdoor pool. The cover was supposed to be pulled down every summer to free up the scarce outdoor space, but in practice, it was never done due to the complexity of the pulling process. Thanks to its size and shape, the membrane cover of the outer water surfaces stood out dramatically from the surrounding built structure.

While previous projects were the result of the investor's wishes, this project was actually proposed by us. The current winter cover was a definite detriment to the guest experience at this very naturally designed complex. But this was not the only reason: in its program and design, the old part with high caloric content was in stark contrast to the new one, which led to increasing complaints from guests who wanted the service to be at an equal level. This convinced the investor to go ahead with this final step in transforming the entire complex.

Previously, more of the building was cut away and filled under the surrounding terrain with each subsequent project, reducing their presence on the site. However, in the case of Termalija Family Wellness, we could not simply replicate this design approach. The amount of space needed, especially in an area with water surfaces, requires locating a much larger structure that cannot simply be buried below level. No longer able to refer only to the surrounding landscape, the solution is found in the size and shape of the surrounding local structures.

While we were still able to design the Termalija support program in the same way as we did previously in Orhidelia, the large roof over the water area was divided into groups of smaller parts to prevent its volume from overwhelming the surrounding areas. When viewed from a distance, the shape, color and scale of the new combined structure of tetrahedral volumes is a continuation of the surrounding rustic building group, which visually simply extends into the heart of the complex.