Condividi
No-one could resist the appeal of this location, where the enchanting natural landscape culminates in a sea with breathtaking colors. Elsa Sanfilippo herself – one of the sector’s most famous architects, renowned for her ability to give architectural form to wellness – confirmed that the strategic location of the Limen Wellness Hotel at Campofelice di Roccella, near Cefalù, and its distinctive layout around a central courtyard, inspired the concept of the entire project, founded on close cooperation between the proprietors, Elsa Sanfilippo’s own passion and competence and the technical know-how of engineer and architect Tommaso Lo Medico.
So water in all its forms – sea, swimming-pool or spa – and the concept of wellness that derives from it are core features in the project, and the central courtyard, a large portion of the ground floor and the 400 m² spa are devoted to them. The building has an L-shaped ground plan, enabling users to follow their path of choice through an outstandingly complete offering: indoor and outdoor pools, Finnish sauna, cold room, quiet room, emotional showers, hammam and private spas. A system of full-height arched windows marks the boundary between indoors and outdoors without interrupting the continuity of the lines or the fluidity of the spaces.
The architectural layout, design, natural daylight and technological comfort combine to constantly inspire an emotional response, reinforced by the underlying presence of nature, a power evoked throughout.
“Designing places intended for wellness,” Elsa Sanfilippo explains, “implies careful research into the technologies used and the most suitable materials, not only in architectural terms but also with regard to functional, aesthetic and – no less important – operating factors. The high concentration of steam, the heat and humidity and the chemicals used to disinfect the water and clean the premises may affect the durability and appearance of the materials used, and must be considered right from the design phase. The spa of the Limen Wellness Hotel is a place where design and technological comfort meet and become key priorities, at times even dictating the choices of colors and materials.”
So the use of Ragno as brand of reference, considering all the variables of its different collections, was fundamental for the project’s coherence and success.
For the wall covering of the spa and for the entire pool, the selected material was the Stratford stoneware collection, in 60×120 cm and in Clay color. “A neutral background,” the architect continued, “with a matt surface but a contemporary texture, a perfect backdrop not only for the indoor rooms but also for the natural features of the garden at the centre of the spa pathway.”
The series offers a wide selection of sizes and colors, benefiting from patented, leading-edge research – such as the StepWise antislip technologies and the digital perfection of Sublime Sync, as well as the more than 20 international certifications – manufactured by the groundbreaking BodyPlus production process, which provides an extraordinarily realistic concrete-effect texture, achieved by pressing blends of naturally colored raw materials with the inclusion of tiny pebbles, chips and grits in the color and in the product’s structure.
“Bright colors that reference nature provide the background for massages and treatments in the cabins and private spas, in the alternating green and blue shades of the Look series.” In 6×24 cm size, these tiles have an ultra-glossy, “flawed” surface that beautifully expresses the elusive mix of elegance and intimacy associated with wellness. The walls of the bathrooms of the hotel bedrooms, on the other hand, were covered with the vibrant resin-look colors of the Resina collection (40×120 cm) in Terracotta and Ardesia colors.
Walking along the outdoor paths or lingering on the terrace or in the poolside solarium for a cocktail or a coffee, it is impossible not to notice the Realstone_Jerusalem Grigio porcelain stoneware (in 60×120 and 30×60 cm sizes) with its texture evoking the strength of slate, which is also used for the balconies of the rooms.
Ph. Alfio Garozzo
