A 70,000sq ft (6,503sq m) European-style hydrotherapy spa is planned for Governors Island in Upper New York Harbour, US, which will feature a number of outdoor therapy pools that look back onto views of Manhattan.

The Quadrio Curzio family from Milan, which manages five other European spa locations under its brand QC Terme, selected Robert D. Henry Architects to design a spa and wellness project that will incorporate healing thermal pools that can be used all year round. The architecture firm was selected from a list of 30 international design firms competing for the project.

Construction is expected to begin on the project before January 2015.

A five-minute ferry ride from either Brooklyn or Manhattan, the experience begins with a foot massage and herbal tea as the boat will sail past the Statue of Liberty. Guests will then be escorted on a golf cart to one of three separate buildings that will be centred around a courtyard of outdoor pools. The buildings are listed in the National Register of Historic places and were formerly occupied by the Coast Guard.

“We’re taking a preservation stance regarding these buildings, which will now be turned into a campus of wellbeing,” read a statement by Robert D. Henry Architects.

There will be a dozen guest rooms integrated within an upper attic loft, with a rustic “Wellness Hotel” to be constructed in the project’s second phase of development. This hotel will include suites, rooms and wellness villas accommodating longer stays than the initial 3-5 day packages that will be on offer.

The various hydrotherapy pools will include “hot and cold water with a 90°F (32°C) differential that can boost your immune system,” the statement continues.

The male and female locker rooms will each feature a whirlpool, sauna and steamroom and there will be an assortment of lounges for relaxation available, as well as a café and a more upscale restaurant.

Massages, facials and more exotic body treatments will take place in the dry treatment areas of the facility.

Robert D. Henry Architects has also announced plans to create an alternative to the "overly clinical" model of healthcare environments at Palm Integrated Health in St Louis, Missouri. The design will feature “nurturing interior that aids patients in their recovery time,” reads the firm’s website.