Hudson River Valley Spa

PrizeWinner in Architectural Design / Hospitality Architecture
Firm LocationNew York, United States
CompanyAndre Tchelistcheff Architects
Lead ArchitectAndre Tchelistcheff
Design TeamTakei Yamasaki (Project Architect) Eric Hildebrandt (Architect) Robert Murray (Structural Engineer) Paul Eppley (Contractor) Seong Kwon (Photography)
Project Videohttp://

Nestled into the Hudson Valley hillside amidst historical barns, greenhouses and grain silos, the sauna building we designed for a sprawling estate house invites discovery. Located against an existing retaining wall, the sauna capitalizes on a prime vantage point of the Hudson River. It unexpectedly reveals itself to those wandering the grounds, with its form slowly materializing through the surrounding foliage. Mise-en-scene with the estate’s 1940s neo-baroque manor, the sauna’s modern sensibility is highlighted, yet it remains comfortably integrated with the landscape as a whole. The ipe rain screen captures sunlight particularly—either coolly from an overcast sky, or with a pinkish hue as the sun sets over the river. Viewing the landscape from inside, glare from the sun is deterred by the bronze visor running over the windows.