Jiyu Spa: Pushing the Boundaries of Wellness Design with Hip-Pop Design
- Sean Dean
- 15 oct 2024
- 3 Min. de lectura
Tucked away in the vibrant streets of Shanghai, Jiyu Spa is not your typical wellness retreat. Spanning over 2,000 square meters, this extraordinary space, designed by Hip-Pop Design, takes the spa experience to an entirely new level. Here, you don’t just relax; you enter a dream-like world where reality blurs, and your senses are heightened.
If you're used to bright, airy spas, Jiyu Spa offers something completely different. Its dark, immersive interiors are crafted to transport you into a space where calm and rejuvenation come from a deeper place. The design plays with the contrast between light and shadow, creating an environment where the absence of light is meant to soothe, not startle. It's a unique take on wellness, allowing guests to disconnect from the hectic pace of everyday life and sink into a meditative, almost surreal, state of mind.
What sets Jiyu Spa apart isn’t just the darkness—it’s the futuristic, “phygital” design that makes the experience feel out of this world. Hip-Pop Design, led by the visionary Sun Tianwen, has masterfully merged the physical space with digital illusions, making every corner of the spa feel like it belongs in a different dimension. Reflective glass panels scatter light and create optical tricks, while the subtle use of wood veneers adds warmth to the otherwise sleek, high-tech feel of the space. It’s the kind of place that makes you feel like you're floating between reality and fantasy.
Sun Tianwen’s approach to design focuses not just on aesthetics, but on how space can shape our emotions and behaviors. In Jiyu Spa, the combination of reflective surfaces and carefully curated lighting gives you the sensation of moving through a dream. Each room is designed to freeze moments in time, letting you pause, breathe, and take in the unexpected. As you wander through, the boundaries between inside and outside, between real and imagined, start to melt away.
The overall effect is one of futuristic escapism—where the spa becomes a portal to a world far removed from the everyday. In a sense, it’s a design experiment that asks: What happens when you strip away the familiar elements of a spa and replace them with something entirely new? For Jiyu Spa, that answer lies in creating a space that feels like stepping into a dream you never want to wake from.
The choice of materials plays a crucial role in bringing this ethereal vision to life. Reflective glass is used to create a play of light and illusion, while wood veneers offer a subtle counterbalance, grounding the design with warmth and texture. Together, they create a feeling that’s simultaneously futuristic and organic—like a walk through a dreamscape where anything is possible.
Sun Tianwen and his team at Hip-Pop Design aren’t just creating spaces; they’re creating experiences. With Jiyu Spa, they’ve crafted a world that speaks to the future of wellness, where design isn’t just about looks but about engaging the senses and the mind. It’s a bold step into the future of spa design, offering a glimpse of how physical spaces can evolve into something more—a true fusion of mind, body, and environment.
Visiting Jiyu Spa isn’t just about unwinding; it’s about leaving behind the familiar and stepping into a world that challenges your perceptions, shifts your perspective, and leaves you feeling renewed on a much deeper level.
Company: Shanghai Hip-Pop Design Team
Lead Designers: Sun Tianwen
Design Team: Liu Dong, Cao Xindi
Project Location: Danyang, Jiangsu, China
Clien: tJiyu Spa
Credits: Photo by Zhang Jing
Prize(s): Silver in Interior Design / Interior Lighting
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