Best of the Maldives: Spa Pod – Velaa

The right lighting can not only help you rising, but also falling to sleep. Velaa’s “spa pod” employs soft lighting, among other sensory stimulation, in the Maldives’ first ever “Cloud 9” spa system…

The Viennese artist and perception researcher sha. has now developed a holistic spa treatment concept to counter these daily stresses and strains: WOLKE 7 CLOUD 9. You enter a world where boundaries disappear, embed yourself on clouds and begin a journey which ends in deep relaxation. With the inspiring concept of WOLKE 7 CLOUD 9 by sha. KLAFS introduces and celebrates a holistic-artistic vision, based on the harmonious spa ambience, which turns the spa area into a creative awareness lab during the Interbad 2010. The origin is the reclining pod, which, in its three dimensional version, transports the visitor into a cloud scenery. Previously, ergonomic studies determined that a diversity of body forms would easily find space in the WOLKE 7 CLOUD 9. The gentle swaying motion of the WOLKE 7 CLOUD 9 further enhances the floating sensation to the visitor and cradles him or her softly towards the horizon. A second pod – as a revolved mirror image of the pod below – floats above the visitor completing the spacial cloud-sky composition of this spa highlight.”

The “cloud” concept is actually a composite of a number of clouds…

• Image cloud –back projected sky-cloud scenery
• Light cloud – fine light-shadow transitions which re-inforce the three dimensional cloud impression
• Colour cloud – monochrome colours transition slowly and imperceptively and begin to mix and mingle
• Sound cloud – wave-like form of breathing in and out, of moving to and fro produces different acoustic agglomerations, which increase and decrease, transform into and overlap each other.
• Cradle cloud – finely tuned, cradle-like swaying motion by lower cloud

Also, possibly the winner of the most expensive spa feature (or any feature) with a reported cost of $10,000,000. Certainly, the most welcome clouds in all of the Maldives.