Else Club Wellness Park

Russia's growing affluence continues to fuel the development of high-rise residential towers in Moscow. Many buildings now include spas and other luxury amenities found in leading European cities. One such example is the Else Club Wellness Park, which occupies the first three floors of the Alise tower. Designed by Architektenburo 4A (Germany) and TPO (Moscow), Else Club was inspired by a tour of leading European spas. To shade the spa's interiors and enhance privacy, the architects designed a striking installation of automated sun louvers by Hunter Douglas. Two arrays of large (3.5 m x 1.2 m), chartreuse louvers were mounted vertically on the eastern and western exposures, where they block low-angle incident sunlight. This eliminates glare during mornings and evenings, both of which are busy times for the facility. To ensure the louvers would integrate seamlessly with the building, the architects specified a customized pocket for the motors and operating mechanism using QuadroClad facade system (also by Hunter Douglas). The panels create a finished edge to the deeply recessed glazing surfaces that are shaded by the louvers. The ultra-flat, lightweight aluminum panels clad the sloped northern and southern elevations in an ultra-flat plane composed of large-scale rectangles and custom trapezoids. The proven durability of QuadroClad panels in harsh climates was a key factor in its selection. All panels are finished in a triple-layered, stove-enameled Luxacote finish that is highly weather resistant.