Wellness and water go together like jam on bread; it’s for this reason that the concept for the Arché Water Path Luxury Experience was created. In collaboration with Balich Wonder Studio, Italian architect Studio Apostoli designed the project to blend wellness with exclusive entertainment and explore water-themed relaxation through all possible forms. The result is a tantalizing example of what architects can come up with when given no limits to their imagination.
“Arché Water Path Luxury Experience is not simply a project but a concept,” says Alberto Apostoli, founder of Studio Apostoli. “Wellness is ‘on demand’ and tailored to the needs of each guest as well as the requirements of the hospitality venue, including its spaces and the type of offering.
“Designing Arché alongside Balich Wonder Studio has been an invaluable experience: Their expertise in major international events and technical and engineering expertise has been the perfect complement to our more than 20 years of wellness design experience.”
Designers point out 10 distinctive areas for guests to experience, each room accessible from the previous rooms:
- Threshold: A suspended walkway over water with small, cascading waterfalls.
- Purification Tunnel: A mist-filled space that brings you to the wellness journey ahead.
- Aquatic Maze: A circular labyrinthian section to enjoy freestyle swimming, a hot tub around a central fire pit and a beach of dark volcanic sand.
- Navel: A cave with bioluminescent effects, reached by an underwater passage.
- Latitudes: Concentric tunnels that replicate different regions of the world — the jungle, desert, Arctic and volcanic landscapes, each recreated with multi-sensory effects to further immerse you.
- Greenhouse: A tropical decompression garden, complete with a food and beverage space.
- Biosphere: A room with LED screens on each wall, displaying continuous natural phenomena in a “modern reinterpretation of the Romantic sublime.”
- Cocoon: A sensory-deprivation dome for meditation. Float in salt-infused water to get the full experience.
- Rain Renewal: A bamboo forest with a rain effect and four private treatment areas (negative-ion salt therapy; a hammam; a Finnish sauna; salt baths).
- Eden: A lush garden with more food and beverage offerings.
The entire experience is unforgettable, with clear emphasis on fostering calm, relaxing memories that guests can return to for years.
“We are delighted to have collaborated on the Arché project, a sensory, emotional and spiritual experience that brings together our two worlds: on one hand, the realm of wellness, in which Studio Apostoli is a recognized expert; on the other, live entertainment, a sector in which Balich Wonder Studio has operated for years, exporting wonder across the globe,” says Gianmaria Serra, co-founder and group executive president of Balich Wonder Studio.
“By recreating external landscapes and internal spaces through the transformative power of water, we have been able to offer visitors an intimate journey of discovery — both of the world around them and of themselves.”
This article first appeared in the February 2026 issue of AQUA Magazine — the top resource for retailers, builders and service pros in the pool and spa industry. Subscriptions to the print magazine are free to all industry professionals. Click here to subscribe.
