Sky Forest Spa: The New Wellness Experience Suspended Between Forest and Sky
Elgus Nature Retreat, the new identity of the historic Hotel San Giacomo in Brentonico, is a family-run hospitality destination that has been evolving since 1958 while remaining true to its original philosophy of welcoming guests. Still managed today by the Girardelli family, the retreat has gradually transformed a traditional Alpine guesthouse into a contemporary wellness destination without losing the authentic warmth of mountain hospitality. Its latest expansion introduces new wellness spaces designed to offer different yet complementary experiences, always in harmony with nature and the surrounding landscape. Among these, the standout feature is Sky Forest Spa, a new wellness concept suspended between forest and sky, representing the latest evolution of the retreat’s wellness experience.
THE PROJECT
The project expands the wellness offering of Elgus Nature Retreat with two new areas: a new family pool & wellness area and the Sky Forest Spa, a panoramic rooftop wellness journey featuring an infinity pool, an event sauna for Aufguss rituals, an Alpine herbal steam bath, and outdoor relaxation areas, all designed in harmony with the landscape of Monte Baldo.
From an engineering perspective, the main challenge was managing two swimming pools located on different levels using a single centralized plant system. Sanae addressed this challenge with its prefabricated modular plant system, a solution that reduces construction time, optimizes technical spaces, and simplifies long-term operation and maintenance.
Completing the project is the Bekerlo Sauna, crafted from spruce wood sourced from Val di Fiemme and recovered after Storm Vaia, reinterpreted as a symbol of sustainability and the identity of the local territory.
Dal punto di vista impiantistico, la sfida consisteva nel gestire due piscine poste a livelli differenti con un unico impianto centralizzato. Sanae ha risposto con il proprio sistema impiantistico modulare premontato, una metodologia che riduce i tempi di cantiere, ottimizza gli spazi tecnici e semplifica la gestione e la manutenzione dell’impianto nel tempo.
Completa il progetto la Bekerlo Sauna, realizzata con abete della Val di Fiemme recuperato dopo la tempesta Vaia e reinterpretato come simbolo di sostenibilità e identità del territorio.
CLIENT
GIRARDELLI FAMILY
LOCATION
BRENTONICO (TN) ITALIA
FUNCTIONAL DESIGN, WELLNESS LAYOUT & EQUIPMENT
SANAE WELLNESS D’AUTORE
ARCHITECTURAL CONCEPT
D4L CESTELE ARCHITETTI – LABORATORIO DI ARCHITETTURA GIANFRANCO E ALESSANDRO CESTELE ARCH.
FEATURES INCLUDED IN THE PROJECT
- Stainless steel baby pool with water games and slide
- Family bio sauna
- Event sauna for Aufguss rituals
- Alpine herbal steam bath
- Panoramic infinity pool
- Outdoor relaxation areas
“THIS PROJECT HAS ENABLED US TO DEVELOP NEW SOLUTIONS DEDICATED TO OUTDOOR WELLNESS, FOCUSING BOTH ON TECHNICAL PERFORMANCE AND MATERIAL RESEARCH. WE ALSO INSTALLED OUR FIRST BEKERLO SAUNA, DISTINGUISHED BY A PERSPECTIVE CEILING THAT CREATES A SENSE OF MOVEMENT AND DEPTH THROUGH THE USE OF SPRUCE WOOD FROM VAL DI FIEMME, RECOVERED AFTER STORM VAIA AND MARKED BY BARK BEETLE ACTIVITY. THIS WOOD, NORMALLY CONSIDERED WASTE MATERIAL, GIVES THE SAUNA CEILING ITS DISTINCTIVE GREY-BLUE SHADES, TURNING IT INTO A STRONGLY IDENTIFYING AESTHETIC FEATURE”.
Diego Gabrielli, CEO of Sanae
“We wanted to create wellness spaces capable of meeting different needs without losing the connection with our identity. Here, the true luxury remains the landscape: every environment has been designed to allow guests to experience it in an authentic and relaxing way. Thanks to highly specialized partners such as Sanae, we were able to turn this vision into a tangible project that successfully combines contemporary wellness, nature, and a strong Alpine identity.”
Maurizio Girardelli – Owner of Elgus Nature Retreat
