Terme Preistoriche Resort and Spa in Motegrotto Terme, Italy, has opened a thermal treatment centre designed by Studio Apostoli.

The new facility marks the most recent collaboration between Studio Apostoli and the resort.  The architecture and design firm designed the property’s existing 1,200sq m spa called Neró Spa, which opened in 2019. It also created a collection of zero-emission suites in 2023 and is redesigning the 47 guestrooms.

The new 550sq m wellness clinic is called the Thermal Treatments, Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Department. It was previously expected to be named the Neró Clinic: Wellness Revolution. The resort sees this new centre as a new way to provide cutting-edge treatments and personalised medical protocols in combination with its thermal traditions.

Angela Stoppato, CEO, Terme Preistoriche Resort and Spa, said: “With this new treatment department, we are breaking conventions – in design, in protocols and in our overall approach.  Every choice is conceived to innovate while deepening the relationship between people, nature and care. 

“The light entering through the large windows of the changing rooms follows circadian cycles,” added Stoppato. “The materials narrate the land. The relaxation lounge, designed to elevate the time dedicated to treatment, invites contemplation of the ancestral and artisanal practice of mud cultivation. 

“Over the next two years, we will take this language even further: we will not only enhance the appearance of the mud cultivation pools but transform them into a spectacle, allowing them to finally take centre stage in the thermal treatments of the largest thermal basin in Europe – where they truly belong,” she concluded.

The department is set across two floors, with interiors that draw from the resort’s historic Art Nouveau style – which the resort believes will attract “a broader and more diverse clientele.” 

The interiors feature timber wall panelling, alternating with nature-inspired wallpapers and custom-designed elements inspired by organic forms – such as circular decorative lighting features. The treatment rooms, in contrast, are minimalist. They have porcelain stoneware, material-effect wallpapers and metal and glass elements.

Alberto Apostoli of Studio Apostoli said: “The building is the result of complementary layers, with harmonious interventions added over time, and is now defined by a new element shaped by the latest wellness technologies.”

Treatments

The treatments on offer will integrate the mature thermal mud and salt-bromine-iodine water at the heart of the resort’s traditional therapies.

Thermal treatments, prescribed by a specialist doctor, will include those recommended for the prevention and treatment of rheumatic, osteoarticular, dermatological and respiratory conditions.

Thermal pool programmes will inform rehabilitation protocols at the clinic – enabling guests to reduce joint load, improve mobility and promote functional recovery. The property says these treatments are designed for those recovering from surgery, trauma or managing chronic conditions.

A dry-environment physiotherapy section within the new department will house equipment to enable qualified physiotherapists to assess and improve guests’ muscle strength, joint stability and neuromotor re-education.