BALNEA spa + réserve thermale designed to offer immersive and revitalizing experience

BALNEA spa + réserve thermale has announced the official opening of a new component of its outdoor spa facilities, designed to offer an immersive experience in nature while also promoting relaxation.

The project, set in the countryside of Bromont, Quebec, was completed by the architectural firm MacKay-Lyons Sweetapple Architects.

This new installation features a spacious infinity thermal bath and a relaxation room which promises an experience that awakens the senses. The thermal bath has a 670-square-foot area that fits over 25 people, and offers a breathtaking panoramic view of Lake Gale.

“These new installations represent a perfect blend of innovation, sustainable practices, and architectural excellence. Every detail has been designed to awaken the senses and enhance the well-being of our guests. We aimed to offer a unique, immersive, generous, and authentic experience inspired by the richness of the surrounding nature,” said Denis Laframboise, president of BALNEA spa + réserve thermale.

This marks the latest milestone for BALNEA in a significant expansion project that began in spring 2023, supported financially by the Quebec Ministry of Tourism under the Tourism Industry Recovery Assistance Program (PARIT).

The project references the surrounding natural environment through its materiality and form. The concrete volume of the spa emerges from the landscape and references the texture and natural rock of the Appalachians.

“The generous new thermal bath and spa terrace grounds the scheme within the landscape. The use of natural materials enhances the reading of the “spa in nature,” while offering a wide range of haptic user experiences,” said Brian MacKay-Lyons, founding partner of MacKay-Lyons Sweetapple Architects.

In April 2023, BALNEA embarked on an extensive eco-friendly expansion project to realize its vision, as the establishment prepares to celebrate its 20th anniversary in October 2025.

The work will continue this summer with the addition of extra changing rooms and with the expansion and upgrade of the Beatnik Hotel in fall 2024, which will double its number of rooms. While the hotel will remain partially open during the renovations, the official inauguration is scheduled for summer 2025.

The project is part of an environmentally conscious approach, a vision shared by MacKay-Lyons Sweetapple Architects and the partners involved.

The new terraces are heated by recovering heat from the mechanical rooms, and the wastewater treatment system has been moved away from sensitive areas. The filtration system has also been optimized, tripling its treatment capacity while only doubling the size of the installations.

In the long term, more than 20,000 square feet of buildings will be preserved and renovated, maximizing resource use and material reuse.