Minthis Spa by Woods Bagot stands at the centre of a large wellness resort near Paphos, Cyprus. Positioned on the crest of a hill, the building overlooks the Ezousa Valley and the historic Stavros tis Minthis monastery.

The architecture responds differently to the two sides of the site. Towards the resort’s main square and stepped outdoor amphitheatre, the building presents a controlled and largely enclosed façade. In contrast, its opposite side opens towards the valley and the distant horizon.

 

 

Emerging from the hillside

The wellness centre appears to rise from the sloping terrain. Its fragmented planted roofs form a geometric extension of the landscape, while the low horizontal composition limits the building’s visual impact when seen from above.

The two-storey spa contains 2,100m² of public wellness facilities. Its programme includes eight specialized treatment rooms, four of which have private internal courtyards. A 25m heated indoor pool, a smaller thermal spa pool, a gym, a yoga room, a relaxation lounge and body-treatment areas complete the main facilities.

A further 700m² service level is located at the base of the building. Reserved for staff, it accommodates the spa’s supporting functions without interrupting the sequence of spaces used by visitors.

From the square to the courtyard

Visitors approach the spa from the resort’s central square along an outdoor route. On this side, a grid of standardized exposed-concrete volumes creates a protective façade. Gaps between them allow climbing plants to grow across the surface.

The concrete grid is interrupted at the entrance, where glazing reveals the central courtyard beyond. Here, a vertical garden of aromatic local plants is arranged within black metal containers. Their repeated geometry echoes the pattern of the external façade.

This planted courtyard forms the spatial centre of the project. It leads towards the reception and lobby, while maintaining long views across the resort and the surrounding terrain. A white Volakas marble reception desk stands against exposed concrete, accompanied by a wall-mounted ceramic composition. Timber surfaces across the walls and ceilings soften the concrete structure, while grey stone defines the floor.

 

 

Graduated levels of quiet

The internal programme is divided between two wings according to the degree of quiet required by each function. The two pools and gym are placed to the left of the courtyard. On the opposite side, the treatment rooms follow a linear arrangement that supports greater privacy and acoustic separation.

Four treatment rooms incorporate private open-air courtyards. These enclosed spaces bring daylight, vegetation and fresh air into the treatment areas without exposing them to the wider circulation zones.

Towards the valley, the principal functional volumes are emphasized by substantial frames of untreated natural limewood. Transitional spaces occupy the intervals between them. Openings reaching up to 5m in height frame views of the green landscape and draw daylight deep into the building.

Materiality and framed views

The interior combines natural timber battens, board-marked concrete and grey stone in both polished and rough finishes. Natural and artificial lighting reveal the differences between these surfaces, while reinforcing the visual axes towards the exterior.

The indoor pool is positioned directly beside full-height glazing. Reflections from the water extend the view into the landscape, while the timber-lined ceiling introduces warmth to the space. Elsewhere, darker corridors and treatment areas create a gradual transition towards more enclosed and private rooms.

Furniture and decorative elements follow the same material approach. Soft organic forms, woven surfaces, timber and heavily textured fabrics balance the geometric structure of the architecture.

 

The project was first published in print in ek magazine 281 | October 2023, a monthly issue by ek Architectural Publications.

Citadel Within the City

Set within the Matosinhos Sul Urbanization Plan by Álvaro Siza, the former Brandão & Companhia canning factory occupies a privileged position near the coastline, retaining a strong connection to the industrial past and maritime identity of the area. The intervention reinterprets this legacy through a mixed-use development that consolidates healthcare, commercial, office, and residential functions within a unified architectural system, restoring the original envelope and chimney while introducing a contemporary layer.

 

Urban Integration

The proposal addresses the fragmentation of the existing structure by re-establishing continuity within the urban fabric. While the original volumetry occupied almost the entire plot, the project introduces permeable and green voids that allow natural light and circulation to penetrate the block. These interstitial spaces generate visual and physical connections between programs, enhancing accessibility to upper levels and fostering interaction within a dense, multifunctional urban environment. The ground floor accommodates commercial and service functions, offices are positioned on the first level, and residential units are organized in elevated volumes.

 

 

Programmatic Organization

At the entrance to the residential areas, a reception space opens onto a patio that operates as the central node of circulation, linking communal zones and distributing movement across the complex. The spatial hierarchy is structured to balance privacy and collectivity, ensuring fluid transitions between different uses. The distribution of the building mass into distinct volumes creates a dynamic composition that responds both to the scale of the plot and to the surrounding urban context.

 

 

Material Palette

The architectural language is articulated through a juxtaposition of materials with varying densities, notably pigmented concrete and aluminum stretched mesh. This contrast reflects the dialogue between past and present, emphasizing both the solidity of the existing structure and the lightness of the newly inserted volumes. Suspended above the courtyard, these elements introduce a sense of elevation and permeability, with a material palette inspired by the proximity to the sea. The intervention ultimately establishes a balanced relationship with adjacent buildings and the public realm, contributing to the revitalization of the block and supporting a broader strategy of sustainable urban development.

 

Core of everyday life

In the heart of the settlement of Pollonia in Milos, a polygonal plot is transformed into a complex spatial organism, where the notion of the courtyard is reinterpreted as the core of everyday life. The proposal reconstructs the atmosphere of the Cycladic village through a contemporary architectural language, creating an environment that balances between privacy and collectivity.

 

Design Philosophy

The plan unfolds along the perimeter of the plot, with independent rooms arranged as volumes tracing its boundary. Within, a network of courtyards and pathways is formed, composing a sequence of open and semi-open spaces. The visitor is invited to navigate this system, discovering hidden corners and inner gardens, and choosing between moments of seclusion or social interaction.

The architectural experience is structured as a succession of spatial transitions, where movement becomes a key tool for understanding the project. The routes are non-linear, gradually revealing the whole and reinforcing the sense of a village at a micro scale.

 

 

Materiality & Architectural Language

The volumes develop across two levels, forming a clear dual material expression. A grounded base of exposed stone anchors the composition, while the white upper level appears to hover lightly above it, separated by a subtle shadow gap. This contrast enhances the plasticity of the composition and articulates the relationship between heaviness and lightness.

The architectural language of projections, corners, and openings generates a dynamic interplay of light and shadow, constantly shifting throughout the day. Light operates as an active design element, revealing material textures and intensifying spatial perception.

Finally, a third layer of materiality is introduced through metal elements. Pergolas and vertical corten features define the boundaries of the gardens, filter light, and create intermediate zones of privacy.

 

 

Spatial Organization

The six suites, featuring double-height interiors, are conceived as minimal and luminous spaces of accommodation. The architecture avoids unnecessary decoration, allowing the contrasts between materials and light to shape the atmosphere.

The courtyard, as a fundamental element of Cycladic typology, re-emerges as a place of gathering and social interaction. Sheltered from the wind, it functions as an inner garden where guests form a temporary community. Through this gesture, the architecture establishes the conditions for shared experiences, conversation, and exchange.

The project constitutes a contemporary interpretation of the traditional settlement, where respect for place is combined with the creation of new modes of inhabitation. It is an environment that balances individuality and collectivity, offering a refuge of simplicity and authenticity within the landscape of Milos.

 

Spatial mediator

Set within the tall perimeter walls of a disused factory, the project unfolds as a carefully orchestrated intervention that redefines the relationship between domestic life, industrial memory, and landscape. Rather than demolishing the existing structure, the proposal preserves its masonry enclosure, transforming constraints into spatial opportunities. Hidden behind a modest entrance, the residence reveals itself gradually, structured around a central open-air garden that becomes the core of the architectural composition.

 

Renovation Strategy

Facing a public square in Lendinara, the project presents a restrained and almost opaque exterior. A tall wall, marked by an irregular profile, recalls the layered history of industrial constructions in the area. The only visible opening – a small iron door – conceals the spatial richness beyond. Once inside, the perception shifts dramatically, revealing a lush, enclosed garden defined by high walls and climbing vegetation.

Located in a context where traces of past industrial activity coexist with residential fabric and green spaces, the project engages directly with its surroundings. The proximity to the public park and the historic garden of Ca’ Dolfin-Marchiori informs the architectural strategy, introducing landscape as an essential component of the dwelling experience.

 

 

Landscape Design

At the heart of the project lies the garden, conceived as an open-air room that organizes the entire domestic program. Created through the partial demolition of the factory roof and the repositioning of the new volume, this green courtyard introduces light, air, and visual continuity into an otherwise introverted structure.

The house develops as a compact, two-level volume inserted within the preserved perimeter walls. Its spatial configuration establishes a continuous dialogue with the garden, most notably through a double-height living space that opens fully onto it via a large, glazed façade. Framed by a timber lattice structure, this transparent surface mediates between interior and exterior, reinforcing the vertical rhythm of the composition and extending into the roof geometry.

 

 

Design Philosophy

The project is defined by a deliberate interplay between openness and enclosure, visibility and concealment. From the street, the house remains entirely hidden, while internally it unfolds through carefully framed views toward greenery. This sequence of spatial transitions constructs a controlled yet dynamic experience of movement and perception.

Materially and structurally, the intervention balances timber, steel, and glass within the existing masonry framework. The new construction echoes the industrial profile of the former building, while introducing a refined architectural language that emphasizes lightness and spatial continuity.

Guided by the notion of landscape as an architectural device, the design moves beyond nostalgic references to industrial heritage. Instead, it repositions the garden as a fundamental condition of contemporary dwelling – not as a decorative element, but as a necessary spatial and environmental mediator that defines the identity of the house.

The courtyard as an extension

This project concerns the renovation of an apartment located in a 1970s residential building in Palaio Psychiko. The residence unfolds across two levels, ground floor and basement, and features an open-air courtyard at the rear, conceived as a natural extension of the domestic space.

 

Renovation Strategy

A fundamental architectural intention was to respect the morphology and materiality of the existing shell. No alterations were made to the exterior façades, apart from careful maintenance and the subtle enhancement of the original materials, preserving the building’s character within its urban context. The interior layout is structured around principles of clarity, fluid circulation and functional simplicity, prioritizing comfort and adaptability in everyday living.

 

 

Material Palette

The aesthetic direction follows a minimal approach, articulated through an earthy color palette, wood-effect surfaces and nuanced variations of texture across walls and built-in furnishings. Warm lighting reinforces a sense of calm, while concealed lighting elements and refined finishes in the bathrooms cultivate an atmosphere of relaxation and intimacy.

 

 

Courtyard Design

The uncovered rear space is transformed into a sheltered courtyard, where the preservation of the existing stone surfaces and the integration of built-in seating with planters strengthen the dialogue between interior and exterior. A generous opening in the living area visually and functionally unifies these two realms, culminating in a residence defined by quiet quality and a timeless architectural character.