Rudding Park near Harrogate is one of the most highly regarded hotels in the UK, offering luxurious accommodation in a Grade-I listed regency house, set in 300 acres of landscaped gardens and woodland.
So, when the hotel management decided to add a new luxury spa complex, the emphasis was on creating a world-class experience for visitors.
Architectural practice Enjoy Design was appointed to design the spa, and the result is a three-storey complex that includes 11 treatment rooms, a 17m swimming pool, a juniper log sauna, indoor and outdoor hydrotherapy pool, a restaurant and shop.
A major feature of the design is its light-filled relaxation spaces, which can be used all-year-round, despite the colder winters and unreliable summers in the north of England. These include a ground-floor area surrounded on three sides by floor-to-ceiling glass, as well as a fully-glazed rooftop spa and garden.
The rooftop spa features an indoor-outdoor infinity pool, where guests can swim between the open and enclosed areas via a waterproof automatic door. A herbal steam bath, luxury steam room, panoramic experience showers and relaxing foot spa enhance the spa journey, whilst outside a spa bath and cabin sauna complete the experience.
The double-glazed sauna units incorporate Pilkington Suncool™ 66/33, a high performance solar control glass that helps to reduce transmission of energy from the sun to just 33 per cent, while allowing 66 per cent light transmission. This means that occupants can enjoy uninterrupted views of the grounds in a comfortable environment, whatever the season.
The glass was installed using minimalistic aluminium frames from manufacturer Metal Technology, which sit flush together and give the appearance of frameless glazing externally.
Gregg Mitchell, director at Enjoy Design, said: “We set out to create a spa facility that is cutting edge, and which would impress the most seasoned spa visitors from around the world.
“Being able to relax on a lounger, looking out over an infinity pool at the stunning grounds beyond, in the depths of an English winter is something pretty special, and part of what makes this new spa genuinely world-class.
“The high performance solar control glass from Pilkington has allowed us to create this amazing space without compromising on the energy performance of the building.”
Michael Metcalfe, commercial sales manager at Pilkington United Kingdom Limited, said: “For buildings where much of the envelope is glazed, excessive heat build-up will always be a potential concern. Solar control glass can make a significant difference by cutting the amount of solar energy entering the space, allowing the climate to be controlled much more efficiently.
“As a result, occupants can enjoy the feeling of being bathed in daylight, whether it’s July or December.”
Project: New spa complex at Rudding Park, Harrogate
Client: Rudding Park
Architect: Enjoy Design
Main contractor: Henry Boot Construction
Specialist glazing contractor: HW Architectural