The town of Tivoli is home to Tibi spa, the new spa complex attached to the Grand Hotel Duca d’Este. « The town has a centuries-old history and is famous in particular for the splendid Villa Adriana (Hadrian’s Villa), Villa d’Este, Villa Gregoriana and Acque Albule thermal baths, » says architect Fabrizio Capolei of Capolei Cavalli Architetti Associati. « The ancient thermal baths are known for their sulphurous water pools with therapeutic properties. Pliny the Elder wrote that « soldiers wounded in battle were taken to the Acque Albule for treatment, and here they regained their health ». » Sirio Hotel, owner of the hotel that Tibi spa is a part of, took over the wellness centre and embarked on an extensive renovation and modernisation programme. « Tibi spa, whose name derives from the Latin word « tibi » meaning « for you », is a 1600 square metre wellness resort where guests can relax both physically and mentally. It is connected directly to the hotel basement equipped with Finnish saunas, Turkish and Mediterranean baths, swimming pools, whirlpools, group suites for up to 15 people, a couple’s suite with a hydropool, emotional and hydrotherapy showers, ice cascades, steam fires, Himalayan salt walls, a large and fully equipped relaxation area, and a full range of body treatment services. » The design concept is based on interaction between the spa and the nearby urban context and consists of a route designed to produce different sensations and enhance the changes in perspective. « The interior is dominated by dark colours against which bright, golden details are highlighted. The reception desk is reminiscent of a series of back-lit stalactites, while the entrance and massage area resemble a cave in which thermal water flows, an atmospheric space that acts as a gateway to black rooms in which the perception of space and time is lost. The architects commissioned Caesar to supply the surface coverings. « Porcelain tiles are the ideal material for a clean, harmonious and relaxing space, » they explained. « Thanks to its water repellency, porcelain is suitable for use on both floors and walls in any area of the spa, from the reception to the hot tub, relaxation area and exteriors, where it creates a sensation of seamless continuity, well-being and reliability. » The result is a highly eco-sustainable building. « We used natural materials such as wood, marble and vegetation along with 100% recyclable materials such as Caesar porcelain and glass. We focused in particular on the sustainability processes that were recently presented as part of Caesar’s new Every Day Counts project, an ethical manifesto in which actions rooted in the principles of the circular economy and human and community values are transformed into a green and people-oriented business vision. Caesar’s tile collections are sustainable, 100% natural materials that do not release organic components and are 100% safe and free of plastics and chemicals. Additional characteristics include ease of cleaning and installation, durability and resistance to chemicals and atmospheric agents, moisture, temperature fluctuations and UV radiation. »
