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Press Information
Oasis in the luxury class
The ELSE Club in Moscow
Schiltach, August 2008. The new wellness park “ELSE Club” in
Moscow, completed in September 2007, features state-of-the-art
technology and only the most select materials. It provides guests with a
refuge offering tranquility and relaxation at the highest level. The
luxurious finish and the club’s sophisticated architectural concept
developed by the planners from 4a Architekten in Stuttgart result in a
very special atmosphere. Anyone entering here feels instantly
transported to an island far from Moscow’s hectic big-city life.
Moscow is booming
Thanks to the strong and sustained economic boom Russia has
enjoyed over the last ten years – the result of the political changes and
the transition from a command to a market economy – a great deal of
capital has been accumulating in Moscow. Today the Russian capital is
the city with the highest number of millionaires per capita in the world.
With around 15 million inhabitants, it is also Europe's biggest
metropolis, and there is no other city between the Atlantic and the Ural
mountains with as many construction projects under way. It follows that
the demand for something special, for exclusivity, is particularly strong
along the Moskva.
To meet the demand the Krost Industrial & Building Company, one of
Moscow’s biggest construction and investment companies, is planning
to expand its network of exclusive wellness facilities. The “ELSE Club”
has meanwhile become their model project. The property developer
commissioned the architect firm 4a Architekten, of Stuttgart – as
renowned for their fascinating bath and spa concepts as for the
architectural concepts that are designed down to the smallest detail –
with the planning and realization of the wellness park. Projects
previously carried out by 4a Architekten include the Spreewald-Therme
spa in Burg and the Bodenseetherme spa on Lake Constance. Thermal
spa baths in Vienna and Luxembourg are currently at the execution
planning stage.
Hansgrohe AG
Public Relations
Auestraße 5−9
77761 Schiltach
Germany
Phone +49 7836 51−1215
+49 7836 51−1226
+49 7836 51−1297
+49 7836 51−3009
Fax +49 7836 51−1170
public.relations@hansgrohe.com
www.axor-design.com
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Futuristic architecture
The five-star luxury club is located in a 25-storey skyscraper at the edge
of a forest park just a short distance from the city centre. In this
exclusive residential tower, the two bottom floors with a usable floor
space of approx. 5,000 m² provide the ideal setting for a wellness oasis
in this residential suburb favored by business people and diplomats.
In terms of its architecture, the “ELSE Club” stands in stark contrast to
its surroundings, even from the outside. It looks as if a pedestal clad in
silver sheet metal panels had been ‘pushed’ underneath the skyscraper.
With its futuristic appearance, the wellness complex is very distinct from
the modest façade of the skyscraper rising above it, both in terms of
form and design. Another eye-catching aspect are the green rotating
blinds installed outside the glass façade on the first floor. Designed to
dim the interior spaces, with their vibrant, fresh green hues they also
create a direct link to the natural environment around the complex. Vast
glass windows on the east and west-facing façades allow the
surrounding park landscape to be enjoyed from the inside.
Sculpted interior space
The central foyer on the first floor provides access to the individual
areas accommodating swimming pool, sauna, change rooms, the gym
and the restaurant. The open transitions between the various functional
areas create a sense of spaciousness, while the enclosed relaxation
zones and private spaces foster a feeling of security. The two floors
both feature an open design. Galleries and floors are linked by open
stairways, with the resultant airy spaces two floors high creating the
uplifting experience of being in the interior of a sculpted building.
“The central design concept focuses on the interplay between
architecture and nature,” explains the architect Ernst Ulrich Tillmanns.
This is also evident in the color scheme of the club, which is based on
the colors of the four seasons. The pool landscape on the ground floor
represents winter, with the basins finished in glass mosaic tiling kept in
cool, blue-green hues which complement the green-grey granite of the
pool edges. A swimming pool, a relaxation pool, an attraction pool and
a warm-water whirlpool, all arranged in a playful ensemble, make for an
interesting and varied bathing experience. Adjacent to the pools is the
sauna area, and here the colors of spring prevail.
Hansgrohe AG
Public Relations
Auestraße 5−9
77761 Schiltach
Germany
Phone +49 7836 51−1215
+49 7836 51−1226
+49 7836 51−1297
+49 7836 51−3009
Fax +49 7836 51−1170
public.relations@hansgrohe.com
www.axor-design.com
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Several saunas, steam baths, heated whirlpools and a range of different
showers provide sensuous water and wellness experiences. The
generously dimensioned gym extends over two floors and looks out into
the surrounding forest landscape. The color scheme here is bright,
reminiscent of summer. The spa and wellness area with its autumnal
color scheme is the heart of the club, and this is reflected in its
exclusive design and finish: at the centre is an organic shape that
encloses the relaxation room. With its outer walls covered in gold leaf, it
forms an island in a shallow decorative pool. Stepping stones across
the water lead to the seven treatment rooms arranged side by side. The
rooms are appointed with high-quality equipment and enclosed in glass.
Upon entering a room, the ceiling-height green blinds close and the
guest can focus on the relaxing effects of the treatment.
Comfort and quality
The “ELSE Club” is a place of well-being, an oasis of calm and
relaxation. It is where guests can escape from everyday stress and
devote themselves fully to their recovery and recuperation. The element
of water is therefore strongly featured in every aspect. This fact is also
reflected in the choice of fixtures and showers. “We chose the Axor
Starck collection because its reduced, elegant design, the high level of
user comfort and the superior quality down to every detail are a perfect
match for our design concept,” said Ernst Ulrich Tillmanns. “The
uncompromising minimalist design also allows the user to be fully
focused on what matters: enjoying the interaction with water.”
The responsibility for the design of the Axor Starck collection rests with
the world-renowned designer Philippe Starck. “I care less about what
things look like than about the feelings they evoke,” is how the French
design star describes his approach. The Axor Starck bathroom
collection succeeds in both aspects, however: it combines classic
styling with a formal message that highlights the preciousness of water
as an element, the origin of life. This is particularly evident under the
large, flat overhead Hansgrohe Raindance AIR shower plates that the
planners have deployed in the field of shower design; the water
enriched with air stimulates all the senses, so that the stresses and
irritations of everyday life are simply washed away.
Axor Starck was also the collection of choice because comfort and
quality were the guiding principle in fitting out the club. The
Axor Starck electronic mixers for the wash basins were a deliberate
choice. Using infrared technology, the fixture immediately responds to
the approach of a guest.
Hansgrohe AG
Public Relations
Auestraße 5−9
77761 Schiltach
Germany
Phone +49 7836 51−1215
+49 7836 51−1226
+49 7836 51−1297
+49 7836 51−3009
Fax +49 7836 51−1170
public.relations@hansgrohe.com
www.axor-design.com
Reproduction free
of charge.
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Without the need for a physical touch, the water flow starts and stops
automatically. In doing so, the fixture meets the ultimate requirements in
terms of hygiene as well as being highly economical, since water
consumption is regulated according to demand. In addition, the
strikingly slim and elegant fixture exudes the kind of robustness and
solid construction that guarantees a long life despite constant use on a
daily basis.
“ELSE” means “different”, and in keeping with the name, the “ELSE
Club” is a world apart from other wellness facilities in terms of its overall
concept, as well as visually and architecturally. The high level of
comfort and the quality décor designed to satisfy the most sophisticated
requirements guarantee the ultimate in relaxation, fitness and bathing
luxury.
Stefanie Merbecks
Wellness Park “ELSE Club” in Moscow – Facts and Figures:
Location: Wellness park “ELSE Club”
***
Ivankovskoje Chaussee 5
125367 Moscow, Russia
Architect: 4a Architekten GmbH, Stuttgart, www.4aarchitekten.de
Principal
and operator: Krost Industrial Building Company, Moscow,
Russia
Start of construction: 2002
Completion: September 2007
Constructions costs: approx. € 25 mn
Bathroom fittings: Axor Citterio, Axor Starck by Axor
Showers: Raindance AIR made by Hansgrohe
***
Axor, the designer brand of Hansgrohe AG, has a reputation as the
ultimate in quality and perfect, innovative design for exclusive
bathrooms. With a vast number of independent, comprehensive
collections, developed in cooperation with internationally renowned
architects and designers such as Philippe Starck, Antonio Citterio
(Milan/Hamburg), Jean-Marie Massaud or Phoenix Design
(Stuttgart/Tokyo), Axor provides unlimited freedom and so allows the
creation of highly individual bathroom solutions and personalized
Hansgrohe AG
Public Relations
Auestraße 5−9
77761 Schiltach
Germany
Phone +49 7836 51−1215
+49 7836 51−1226
+49 7836 51−1297
+49 7836 51−3009
Fax +49 7836 51−1170
public.relations@hansgrohe.com
www.axor-design.com
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interior designs. Axor collections can be found at the Burj Dubai as well
as the Yoo Apartments in Manhattan, at the Bulgari Hotels in Milan and
Bali and on the Queen Mary II, at the Grand Hyatt in Shanghai and at
the Else Club in Moscow. The Axor brand manager is Philippe Grohe
(41), the grandson of the company’s founder Hans Grohe.
***
Hansgrohe AG is the official partner of
Deutsches Haus (German House)
Beijing 2008, the official representative
of the German Olympic Sport
Federation at the games. You can find
more information at:
www.hansgrohe.com/deutscheshaus
or www.dsm-olympia.de
***
With its innovative technologies
Hansgrohe AG is partner of the
German Pavilion „wunderbar“ at the
International Exhibition EXPO 2008 in
Zaragoza which centres on the theme
“water and sustainable development”.
Let us show you the better usage of
the resource water. Visit the German
Pavilion from June 14 until September
14 or at
www.hansgrohe.com/expo2008.
Further information: Hansgrohe AG
- Press Office -
Beatrix Pfundstein/Dr. Carsten Tessmer
Tel: +49 (0) 7836/51-1215/-3009
Fax: +49 (0) 7836/51-1170
E-mail: public.relations@hansgrohe.com
www.axor-design.com
Hansgrohe AG
Public Relations
Auestraße 5−9
77761 Schiltach
Germany
Phone +49 7836 51−1215
+49 7836 51−1226
+49 7836 51−1297
+49 7836 51−3009
Fax +49 7836 51−1170
public.relations@hansgrohe.com
www.axor-design.com
Reproduction free
of charge.
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Picture Overview ELSE-Club Moscow
Futuristic architecture and luxurious finish developed by the planners from 4a Architekten in Stuttgart – the ELSE Club
in Moscow is a wellness park of the five-star category located at the edge of a forest park just a short distance from the
city centre.
Copyright: 4a Architekten/Brinkschmidt Copyright: 4a Architekten/Krost
„We chose the Axor Starck collection because its reduced,
elegant design, the high level of user comfort and the
superior quality down to every detail are the perfect match
for our design concept,“ said Ernst Ulrich Tillmanns,
4a Architekten.
The interior space as room sculpture: Inside the ELSE
Club private spaces take turns with open, exciting room
experiences.
Copyright: Vitaly Nefedov Copyright: 4a Architekten/Krost
Pure showering pleasure: The shower area, equipped with
Raindance AIR showers, provide the necessary
refreshment after an intensive sports program or after a
few rounds in the generous pool area.
Copyright: Vitaly Nefedov Copyright: Vitaly Nefedov
The central design concept, the interplay between
architecture and nature, is reflected also within the
shower areas, equipped with Axor Citterio mixers and
Hansgrohe Raindance AIR showers.
Hansgrohe AG
Public Relations
Auestraße 5−9
77761 Schiltach
Germany
Phone +49 7836 51−1215
+49 7836 51−1226
+49 7836 51−1297
+49 7836 51−3009
Fax +49 7836 51−1170
public.relations@hansgrohe.com
www.axor-design.com
Reproduction free
of charge.
Proof and voucher
copy please.