Coldstone Spa
Hemisfair Park, San Antonio, Texas
1 - Precedent Readings, 2 - 1968 Women’s Pavilion Building Analysis, 3 - Site Analysis, 4 - Concept Exploration, 5 - Space Planning, 6 - Program, 7 - Precedents, 8 - Interior Volumes, 9 - Color Scheme and Materials, 10 Furniture and Product Selections
A resurgence in downtown living also carries modern demands for a balanced green space, history to be honored, supporting local arts, culture, food options, connectivity, local entrepreneurship, health and wellness. Beautification and preservation of the city has always been a core component in the shaping of the city of San Antonio. Today we would like to add more lighting to the Tower of Americas, the Frost Tower downtown shines bright at night by contrast. San Antonio’s location above the Edwards Aquifer gives it a valuable local source of fresh water, the downside is the historic floods that the city has seen. As the city has developed so have the ways of counteracting the deadly floods with development along San Pedro Creek currently in the construction process of phase 2.
New Vision for Tower Park
“we must somehow leave our most beautiful public areas to the public use and enhance them by private development alongside.”
“reignite the passion to live downtown again.”
“...specifically lighting up the tower will elevate it as an attraction and photo opportunity.”
“Green, fun, shade, active, friendly, relaxing, community, natural, accessible, historic, family.”
The Crown Jewel of Texas
“...bathhouses floated on empty seal barrels, with frameworks ten feet squared sheathed in strips of muslin and wooden floor that could be raised or lowered in the water to keep
adults or children at a safe depth.”
adults or children at a safe depth.”
“People of San Antonio held the beautification and preservation of San Antonio of great importance. ”
“Children showered flowers upon the waters, and those along the bank did likewise.”
”...for an hour and ten minutes the San Antonio river rose one foot every ten minutes...”
the cutoff at the great bend. “We are not going to line the gutters with gold...”
Women's' Pavilion Building Analysis
The current Women’s Pavilion from the 1968's Hemisfair Exposition has had additional construction on the east end of the building that will not be used so it is not visually represented here.
A ground floor is divided into a bigger space and smaller space. The mezzanine at a half level above and basement level at a half level below, both have space that is roughly the same size as the smaller of the ground level spaces. The structure works on a grid that is approximately 14.5’ from center to center of column. The south end uses a bay of 1.5 the standard bay size.
The structure works on a grid that is approximately 14.5’ from center to center of each column. The south end uses a bay of 1.5 the standard bay size.
The materials found throughout the existing building includes a women handprint mural, exterior tan brick, interior white CMU, window glazing dull, concrete and stucco, and an exposed concrete floor.
Site Analysis
A one way road borders on the south end of the Women's Pavilion, the Tower of Americas is to the north. Nearby buildings are to be repurposed for new convention and residential spaces. A couple of trees will require to be transplanted for expansion to the east since there are some facility buildings that limit expansion to the west. A shaded canopy lies to the west and also includes a water feature. Some broken and uneven concrete is found on the south end of the building. The electric grid is on the east, water connections on the southwest sides of the building, and the closest waste containers are to the northeast.
Vehicle traffic on the south, pedestrian traffic on the north.
Water noise from north; highway noise from the east.
Odors are perceivable from adjacent restroom facilities and exhaust fan on northwest end.
The topography on the site is predominantly flat, a hill to the north between the Women’s Pavilion and the Tower of Americas rises from the Pavilion to the Tower. A 16-20 foot raised pavilion precedes the Tower of Americas.
Concept Explorations
A Resilient Truth
“One year, they built a dam. But every single spring, the water would find its way on to the Fitzgerald property.’ I chuckle, remembering the two old men standing over the stream, scratching their beard in wonder. ‘Finally they just gave up and let it be. Realized there was no stopping it. The water was going to go where it was meant to go.’ I feel a smile touch my lips. ‘My granddad would tell us that story every spring, when we came out here after the thaw. Of course, it wasn’t just a story to him. He turned it into a life lesson about telling the truth. I had a problem with lying when I was little,’ I admit, sheepishly. ‘He said the truth is like that water: it doesn’t matter how hard you try to bury it; it will always find a way back to the surface. It’s resilient.’” -Burying Water – K.A. Tucker
Reflected Colors
“All our Concord waters have two colors at least, one when viewed at a distance, and another, more proper, close at hand. The first depends more on the light, and follows the sky. In clear weather, in summer, they appear blue at a little distance, especially if agitated, and at a great distance they all appear alike. In stormy weather they are sometimes of a dark slate color. The sea, however, is said to be blue one day and green another without any perceptible change in the atmosphere. I have see our river, when, the landscape being covered with snow, both water and ice were almost as green as grass. Some consider blue ‘to be the color of pure water, whether liquid or solid’. But, looking directly down into our waters from a boat, they are seen to be of very different colors. Walden is blue at one time and green at another, even from the same point of view. Lying between the earth and the heavens, it partakes of the color of both. Viewed from a hill top it reflects the color of the sky, but near at hand it is of yellowish tint next to the shore where you can see the sand, then a; light green, which gradually deepens to a uniform dark green in the body of the pond. In some lights, viewed even from a hill top, it is of vivid green next to the shore. Some have referred this to the reflection of verdure; but it is equally green there against the railroad sandbank, and in the spring, before the leaves are expanded, and it may be simply the result of the prevailing blue mixed with the yellow of the sand. Such is the color of its iris.” -Walden, or a Life in the Woods - Henry David Thoreau
Yin &Yang
“But the fourth bore in the water and kindled much fire there, Beneath a mighty caldron , till warm the water was, And when it came to the boiling within the gleaming brass, In the bath she put me and bathed me, and from the caldron led Warm water softly tempered o’er my shoulders and head, And the weariness took from my body that the soul within me wore.” -The Odyssey – Homer, William Morris
“After breakfast the king he took a seat on the corner of the raft, and pulled off his boots and rolled up his britches, and let his legs dangle in the water, so as to be comfortable, and lit his pipe, and went to getting his ‘Romeo and Juliet’ by heart.” -The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - Mark Twain
“But you see, it doesn’t matter how much water there is; people can drown in one foot of water as easily as they can drown in a hundred feet.”
-The Shadow Club Rising – Neal Shusterman
Reactive Transformations
“…and by and by you could see a streak on the water which you know by the look of the streak that there’s a snag there in a swift current which breaks on it and makes that streak look that way; and you see the mist curl up o of the water, and the east reddens up..”
-The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - Mark Twain
Precious Gem
“Of all our natural resources water has become the most precious. By far the greater part of the earth’s surface is covered by its enveloping seas, yet in the midst of this plenty we are in want. By a strange paradox, most of the earth’s abundant water is not usable for agriculture, industry, or human consumption because of its heavy load of sea salts, and so most of the world’s population is either experiencing or is threatened with critical shortages. In an age when man has forgotten its origins an is blind to even his most essential need for survival, water along with other resources has become the victim of his indifference. The problem of water pollution by pesticides can be understood only in context, as part of the whole world to which it belongs – the pollution of the total environment of mankind.” -Silent Spring – Rachel Carson, Linda Lear
Concept
My concept for this design is focused on the Yin & Yang principle of a contrast, derived from the properties of water being both a destructive and restorative element.
Space Programming
Model study shows an exploration of half levels produced by the basement and mezzanine as well as better understanding of circulation routes available.
Basement program: steam room, sauna, and towel storage. Ground level: lockers, main lobby, employee areas, pedicures, and most pools on this level. Mezzanine reserved for circulation and to include 2 massage rooms as well as a shower space. Top levels 2 or 3 to include more private zones including couples massage and enhancing amenity space. Elevator Egress has been designed into the new construction program rather than using the existing Women’s Pavilion.
Program
Entrance: the main entrance is located on the North Side of the building where pedestrian traffic is zoned. The north façade includes a shipping and delivery dock for spa services.
Precedents
The basement and mezzanine both have access to the elevator and connect the ground level with the second and roof terrace. The basement program includes a steam room and sauna along with a shower and toilet. The mezzanine replaces the steam room and sauna with 2 private massage rooms with 20’ high ceilings.
Egress: The 2-door elevators open on the west side for mezzanine and
basement levels and on the east side for the ground, second, and top
level.
basement levels and on the east side for the ground, second, and top
level.
Stand alone solar power harvesting: A stand alone system on the roof terrace level offers a way to reduce the overall energy consumption of the space. Due to surrounding buildings it would be ideal to design the solar panels with summer optimization by adding 15 degrees to the Vertical Shadow Angle.
Interior Volumes
Using the Yin & Yang Concept to explore material application systems in major volumes. Contrasts down the middle, interlocked volumes, and wrapped ceilings reflect the dual characteristics of Yin & Yang.
Color Scheme and Materials
An analogous color scheme supports calm and serene environments compared to complementary or triadic color schemes. The selected colors were predetermined by the color tones that limestone is found in.
Hues with high lightness values were selected and the use of greens and blues that are found in variants of granite support a contrasting theme of tint values while maintaining an analogous color scheme. A honed finish on the floor application of these materials will also ensure that the material is slip resistant to counteract all the activities that may cause wet floors throughout the spaces.
Furniture and Product Selections
Minimalistic pendant lighting can offer visually pleasing fixtures into small spaces like individual massage rooms as well as lounge spaces.
Any wall decorations are to be maintained within a plant themes or other Zen-like themes.
Varying seat types including molded wood chairs, built in seats along walls, and long couch or bench seating with water resistance fabrics.
Furniture like minimalistic sofa tables and shelving will add more complexity to the spaces in the program.
Diamond Spa Pools made out of stainless steel are great for the size of the pools in the program.
Multiple 2 top and 4 top seating for café, minibar, and lounge areas.
