Hart Miller Design completes new landmark Cornwall spa

730 565 Hamish Kilburn
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Hart Miller Design completes new landmark Cornwall spa

The award-winning Mullion Cove Hotel on Cornwall’s Lizard peninsula has opened a landmark new spa, designed by Hart Miller Design…

The clifftop retreat, Mullion Cove Hotel, with its infinity pool and stunning sea views enhances the hotel’s existing offering and marks a new chapter in its history.

Having worked with the hotel since 2012 on a rolling expansion project, Hart Miller Design were selected to create a distinctive spa experience, unique to the South West.

Mullion Cove Director Daniel Thompson said: “This has been a landmark year for Mullion Cove as we completed expansion of our self-catered apartments, and opened our new spa. Having designed both of these projects, Hart Miller understand both our vision and our client base – vitally important in creating a spa that feels right. I’m looking forward to our continued work with Hart Miller Design as we begin work on the next phase of our expansion.”

Blue arm chair and stretching view across bay in the lobby

Image caption/credit: The Spa’s lobby area | Image credit: Mullion Cove Hotel/Hart Miller Design

At the heart of the project is a contrast of scale – placing intimate human sensory experiences within a jaw-dropping natural location of rock, sea and elemental power. Japanese mountain retreats were taken as a key inspiration, grounded in ritual and symbolism.

“Passing along the Sandō, the Japanese-style approach to a temple, the customer is stepping over the threshold into the spa experience.” – Anna Hart, Design Director at Hart Miller Design

The spa takes its users on a personal journey of relaxation: a carefully chosen palette of timbers and natural tones complement the hues and contours of the Cornish landscape and help to create spaces and textures that welcome and embrace. Visitors are wrapped up in the materiality of the building and the sea views beyond, offering an immersive experience from start to finish.

Indoor pool with glass overlooking bay

Image caption/credit: The main indoor pool of the spa | Mullion Cove Hotel/Hart Miller Design

“When you enter the space you are arriving very much in the heart of the spa – a relaxed lounge with fire and soft settings, rich materials that signify the beginning of a journey,” added Anna Hart, Design Director at Hart Miller Design. “Passing along the Sandō, the Japanese-style approach to a temple, the customer is stepping over the threshold into the spa experience. The lounge is somewhere you can return to and take a moment and soak it all up – not to mention the most amazing views.”

Floor to ceiling windows contrast the enveloping private treatment rooms and provide a perfect setting to unwind whether a dark, stormy day or beautiful summer evening. The lighting design is also a key feature of the project. Working with Amos Lighting, a series of subtleties and contrasting ambiences has been added in the form of dimming, treatment-specific lighting.

Main image credit: Mullion Cove Hotel/Hart Miller Design

Hamish Kilburn / 20.03.2020

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