Santani Wellness Resort And Spa

Santani Wellness Resort And Spa
© Thilina Wijesiri

SANTANI WELLNESS RESORT AND SPA

Thisara Thanapathy Associates

ARCHITECTS
Thisara Thanapathy Associates

LOCATION
Kandy, Sri Lanka

CATEGORY
Spa

ARCHITECT IN CHARGE
Thisara Thanapathy

AREA
50000.0 ft2

MEP ENGINEERS
Thilak Thembiliyagoda, Nimal Perera

PHOTOGRAPHS
Mahesh Mendis, Thilina Wijesiri

MEP ENGINEERING
Thilak Thembiliyagoda, Nimal Perera

PROJECT ACHITECTS
Rafidh Rifaadh, Kaushala Samarawickrama

AWARD
Geoffrey Bawa Award 2016/2017 for Excellence in Architecture

PROJECT YEAR
2016

BUDGET
340mil SLR (1.93 mil USD approximately)

CLIENT
Dumabara Hotels (Pvt) Ltd.

QUANTITY SURVEYOR
Sunanda Gnanasiri

CIVIL CONTRACTOR
Duminda Builders (Pvt) Ltd

STRUCTURAL ENGINEER
Wasantha Chandrathilaka

MANUFACTURERS
Alumex, Amano, Rigel

Text description provided by architect.

Spreading over a vast hilly terrain, Santani, was built as an architectural refuge, away from the consumerist lifestyle of the modern day.

Santani Wellness Resort And Spa
© Mahesh Mendis
Santani Wellness Resort And Spa
© Mahesh Mendis

Strongly inspired by the unique context, the design expresses to be a harmonizing detail to the landscape instead of dominating over its natural persona.

The relationship is as such that the built forms connect the landscape and the landscape connects the built forms as a flowing spatial experience.

Santani Wellness Resort And Spa
© Thilina Wijesiri
Santani Wellness Resort And Spa
© Thilina Wijesiri

The simple structures disappear into the landscape, mastering the spiritual tranquility of its surrounding.

The built structures are raised from ground to prevent moisture and ground warmed air from reaching in and to catch cool breezes from above.

Santani Wellness Resort And Spa
© Thilina Wijesiri
Santani Wellness Resort And Spa
© Thilina Wijesiri
Santani Wellness Resort And Spa
© Thilina Wijesiri

Open forms allow cross ventilation, removing interior heat and humidity, in the tropical climate. The grass-turfed terraces of the spa are ecological roofs that help keep a cool interior within.

The resort has four main sections; Entrance Pavilion, Spa, Lounge-Restaurant (main building) and 16 Single Villa Chalets, (and additionally two double-bedroom villas) spread across the terrain.

Santani Wellness Resort And Spa
© Mahesh Mendis
Santani Wellness Resort And Spa
© Thilina Wijesiri

In addition are the operations building, two staff-quarters, a Yoga Pavilion neighboring the Spa, and an infinity swimming pool area.

The entrance pavilion, lying at the center of the valley, creates a vista across it, capturing scenic views on both sides. This simple, open structure with a lightweight roof, blends into its surrounding.

Santani Wellness Resort And Spa
© Mahesh Mendis
Santani Wellness Resort And Spa
© Mahesh Mendis

The two-storied lounge and restaurant, standing on the highest point of the land, embraces the picturesque mountain range afar. The thin lines of steel and salvaged timber of the linear lightweight structure, in combination with glass, builds a transparency towards its surrounding.

The lightweight chalets resting on their steel pillars, are both contrasting and complimentary features, to the sloping landscape, oriented in a way to achieve privacy while focusing to views afar.

Santani Wellness Resort And Spa
© Mahesh Mendis
Santani Wellness Resort And Spa
© Mahesh Mendis

A well expressed pathway leads to the spa’s reception pavilion, a lightweight timber structure resting on pillars, slightly above ground, inspired by Kandyan vernacular structures on pillars.

Resembling a stepped paddy field, the spa is a series of green terraces flowing with the rhythm of the sloping landscape. At the foot of these terraces lies a large re-cultivated paddy field.

Santani Wellness Resort And Spa
© Mahesh Mendis
Santani Wellness Resort And Spa
© Mahesh Mendis

The terraces are in harmony with the paddy field and tea estates visible from one side, while being oriented to create a strong visual connection with faraway mountains.

Through the Spa’s reception pavilion which frames views of greenery, a tunnel leads to the immediate lower level, the location of a water-therapy room, steam-room and sauna, where a sensation of a cave with a distant view is celebrated.

Santani Wellness Resort And Spa
© Mahesh Mendis
Santani Wellness Resort And Spa
© Thilina Wijesiri
Santani Wellness Resort And Spa
© Thilina Wijesiri

The tunnel further continues down to a second lower level where three massage-treatment rooms are located facing the paddy field. While the entrance to the spa is lightweight, the tunnel and lower levels are built from rubble.

Level play, rhythmic movement through connecting tunnels and corridors, and the material expressions evoke a feeling of peaceful captivity.

Framed views, play of light and cool winds, rustic natural materials create a multi-sensory experience, in a design that embodies its natural landscape, purifying the mind with silence.

Santani Wellness Resort And Spa
© Thilina Wijesiri


Santani Wellness Resort And Spa
© Thilina Wijesiri
Santani Wellness Resort And Spa
© Thilina Wijesiri
Santani Wellness Resort And Spa
© Thilina Wijesiri
Santani Wellness Resort And Spa
© Thilina Wijesiri


Santani Wellness Resort And Spa
Lounge Ground Floor Plan
Santani Wellness Resort And Spa
Lounge First Floor Plan


Santani Wellness Resort And Spa
Villa Plan
Santani Wellness Resort And Spa
Spa Plan


Santani Wellness Resort And Spa
Villa Section & Elevation
Santani Wellness Resort And Spa
Spa Section
Santani Wellness Resort And Spa
Santani Wellness Resort And Spa
Layout Plan