Great design requires interaction between environment, exterior and interior

I recently spent three days at wellness center Elaisa in Maasmechelen. A special feature of the facility is that it is located in a beautiful natural area against Hoge Kempen National Park. Think waving grasses and trees surrounding a fairytale lake with swans and cormorants bobbing in it. In the middle of this nature reserve stands a modern "temple" built primarily of granite. Or, a spaceship with a little imagination. 

First of all, kudos to the entrepreneur who conceived, drew and had everything built himself, with no background in architecture and, as I understand it, with only the help of a trainee architect.      

Although in my top 3, I regret to say that as a visitor, I am not having that ultimate experience I was hoping for. This is not because of the staff or the treatments. Nor is this due to the most amazing sunsets you can experience from some of the saunas and baths.

The slight sense of unease has two causes: 

1. The visual "stories" are too mixed up.

2. The customer experience is flawed in parts.

First of all, the extremely sleek granite building looks somewhat alienating in the idyllic setting. In itself, that can create a nice tension and appeal to the imagination. But that fantasy is not given a chance by the excess of images inspired by ancient Egypt and Buddhism. The magic is lost as a result. 

I also miss the dialogue between the beautiful natural area and the building. The use of materials feels cold because of the excess of stone and steel. Personally, I would have liked to see nature surrounding the austere gray building seemingly take possession of the building, by - instead of the sculptures - growing trees and large plants in and through the building. Inspired, for example, by the temples of Angkor Wat in Cambodia. It brings warmth to the material and color scheme as well as reminding us of the transience of our existence.

Customer Experience

But what disappoints me most as an interior designer is the lack of a nice central meeting point in the building. True, there is a restaurant, but it contains almost only simple white tables on a gray stone floor with white plastic chairs around it. No hearth fire around which people can sit, as in ancient times, to experience a sense of warmth, security and connection. No nice sofas and armchairs to snuggle up in. It is simply an unpleasant space to be in, while the restaurant - if successfully decorated - could generate so much more revenue. 

It is a good example of my firm belief, that the creation of a successful building cannot be done without a collaboration with a good (landscape) architect and interior designer. Such a collaboration brings environment, exterior and interior together and makes the story make sense both visually and functionally. It would have put this wellness center at No. 1 for me.    

Marielle van Essen, with her company Van Essen Interiors, is an interior designer for both residential and commercial clients.