HEALTH AND SPA

Dear Readers,

As the year draws to a close and you still have a few days of holiday left, we might just have the right ideas for you:
until 23 November, the Venice Architecture Biennale is still on. In the halls of the Arsenale, the pavilions of the Giardini and countless venues across Venice, you’ll find an abundance of outstanding interior and architectural design as well as inspiring exhibition concepts. Or you travel to Paris, where just a few days ago the Fondation Cartier, designed by Ateliers Jean Nouvel, opened its doors. Those who have already been to the Biennale may have caught a first glimpse of this monumental project in the abbey on the Island of San Giorgio Maggiore, where a huge model was on display – and with a little luck, even met the French master himself. Another travel tip takes you northwards: Berlin-based architecture journalist Hendrik Bohle visited one of the Faroe Islands and, in his feature “A Weekend in … Tórshavn”, lures readers to an extraordinary town full of rugged beauty. What most people take for granted – travelling, moving freely in nature, or experiencing architecture inside and out – is far from easy for those with physical disabilities. Edoardo Bianchini studied architecture, is dependent on a wheelchair since an accident and shares his compelling view of a (built) world that has changed dramatically for him in his article “Inclusion!?”. His remarkably unpretentious book “Barrieren durchbrechen. Architektur umdenken.” (Breaking Barriers. Rethinking Architecture.), featuring touching, mouth-drawn illustrations, doesn’t accuse, but instead informs and inspires reflection – essential reading for anyone involved in healthcare design. That brings us to this issue’s theme: Health and Wellness. We have selected practices, clinics, sports facilities and swimming pools that, through their sensitive, human-centred design and sense of proportion, fully embody the idea of “Healing Architecture”. Beyond fulfilling functional requirements, the atmospheric effect of interior spaces is vital for fostering trust and a sense of ease. This is particularly evident in projects for children, such as the Villa Kinderzahn in Gütersloh, the children‘s hospice in Brno and the kbo children‘s centre in Munich. Stay healthy this autumn – dancing can help, says Benjamin Reding – or perhaps (swimming) sport!

Best wishes
Petra Stephan, Dipl.-Ing.
Chief Editor
Architect