Vietnamese interior design company Module K have turned an old building into a luxurious spa in Vietnam, using a curved concrete staircase designed like a silk ribbon, angled glass panes to bring in light and a stylised butterfly wing exterior facade.

The Shynh House Centre - Beauty Cosmetic & Spa is located at a busy intersection in HCMC set among rows of trees and the typical Vietnamese jumble of building styles and cables.

The five-storey building had a typical office façade with small windows, and Module K decided to create a new layer that acts as a screen and filter – a "second skin" – covering the entire face with a standalone system.

This facade concept is a series of layers of membranes and perforated metal to evoke the idea of a butterfly; the butterfly motif also reappears in details such as door handles and mirrors.

“The brand identity as well as the look and feel of the building is derived from the idea of transformation, and expressed as stylised butterfly wings. The butterfly becomes the DNA of the building,” said Jade Nguyen Kim Ngoc, design director of Module K.

The laser-cut perforated aluminium exterior screen filters the light and views and brings an atmosphere of silence and beauty to the interior spaces.

At night, the building lights up like a lantern to showcase its transformation into a sculpture.

In order to bring natural daylight and ventilation to the space, a series of courtyards was cut into the building and wrapped with curved glass. These angled glass walls enhance the outlook of the tree canopy, and cleverly limit the view of the tangle of outside wiring.

The floors and treatment rooms gently curve and create alternating open and intimate spaces.

“The spatial highlight of the interior is a sensual staircase that flows from the reception area into the upper levels like a soft silk ribbon, a symbol of feminine beauty,” said Ngoc.

The interiors are crafted of natural materials, such as terrazzo floors and panelled wood walls, and the high-tech equipment is complemented with natural bespoke Indochine decorative styling and lighting elements.

“These clever interventions give the building a new life, a transformation,” said Ngoc.