The interior of a room at Zulal Wellness Resort.
Doha: In the ever-changing hospitality industry, which continuously experiences a resurgence in renovation, wellness focused design has emerged as a growing trend where guest experience and treatment carry equal importance as the surroundings they are in. This concept is primarily based on infusing wellness into design with the goal of unfolding narratives and creating spaces that evoke positivity and subtly heighten awareness of guests and visitors.
Chiva-Som’s flagship in the Middle East, Zulal Wellness Resort, designed in harmony with its surroundings, has taken on the trend of wellness design to reflect on the rich heritage of Qatar in a contemporary manner. The resort, brought to life by Qatar’s premier master developers, Msheireb Properties and known for its Arabic meaning, pure water, was conceived and inspired by the integration of natural elements; land, sea and shelter, all of which are reflected into every architectural element.
Zulal’s landscape was designed to seamlessly blend into its coastal desert setting. The design concept was driven by the extensive use of natural materials including gravel and sand as well as textured concrete paving to compliment the resort’s surrounding. The wellness focused design was also driven by the water element which was infused through the implementation of majestic lagoons and oases at key zones throughout the resort, making it the focal element in the design concept.
Hind Al Kaabi, Senior Architect at Msheireb Properties, said: “The design concept for Zulal Wellness Resort is truly unique as it embraces the local environment and incorporates design elements that evoke a sense of tranquillity and serenity. This is evident in the use of water as a central element in the resort to instil a sense of calmness and well-being and offer a full-immersive wellness experience.”
From the exterior, which is tinted with shades of Qatar’s beautiful desert, designed to resemble sand dunes right to interior walk paths engraved with the “Sidra” tree leaves and windows that are carved with the infamous “Mashrabiye” pattern, Zulal’s design is a beautiful integration to Qatar’s landscape. The carefully choregraphed spaces of the resort follow a courtyard typology, designed to offer a seamless flow of open spaces and reflect on Qatar’s traditional villages.
Fatima Fawzi, Design Manager at Msheireb Properties said, “Zulal’sdesign concept is a reflection of its mission to promote wellness while still staying true to the Qatari landscape. The vision of Zulal is human-centric where we made it a priority to weave elements that are natural and manmade. The beauty of Qatar’s heritage can be found throughout the resort, from material, colour schemes to patterns all of which were interwoven into the resort.”
