Spas are becoming increasingly social. From sauna-and-ice-bath circuits to communal spaces like Othership, the Toronto-born concept that turned guided sauna sessions and cold plunges into a communal shared experience, the latest wave of spas is offers a way to get together as much as it is does to get away from it all. Now, one of Montréal’s best-known wellness destinations is expanding with that shift in mind.
“We sought to create an architecture that reveals the landscape rather than imposes upon it.”Jean Pelland, principal partner at Sid Lee Architecture.
Bota Bota, spa-sur-l’eau, the floating spa moored in Montréal’s Old Port, has finally lived up to its name by adding a second bota — or a “Pavillon”, as they’re calling it.
Officially opened in July, the 20,000-square-foot expansion sits alongside the original converted ferry and gives what has long been a Montréal must-visit destination some much-needed breathing room. Designed by Sid Lee Architecture, the Pavillon builds on the a concept first conceived more than 15 years ago, with architecture intended to complement rather than compete with its waterfront surroundings.
“We sought to create an architecture that reveals the landscape rather than imposes upon it,” says Jean Pelland, principal partner at Sid Lee Architecture, “one that invites guests to slow down, be present, and experience the river, the garden, and the city as a cohesive whole.”
The expansion adds to Bota Bota’s existing water circuit with a spacious sauna, panoramic outdoor bath, an immersive indoor bath and new cold-water experiences, along with larger changing rooms.
The Pavillon also gives Bota Bota room to broaden their its definition of the experience. While silence remains golden aboard the original spa, quiet conversation is permitted in the Pavillon, much like in Bota Bota’s existing outdoor “garden” area. The new space will also host guided Aufguss rituals, the increasingly popular communal sauna experience that pairs heat, scent and movement. Together, the additions reflect a broader shift in wellness away from solitary relaxation and toward experiences that can be shared.
“Our new Pavillon builds on Bota Bota’s vision of creating an environment where every moment becomes an experience, enriched with new spaces designed to bring people together,” says Geneviève Emond, president and co-founder of Bota Bota.
The project, supported by Québec’s Ministry of Tourism through its Tourism Industry Recovery Assistance Program, also reflects the province’s growing investment in wellness tourism.
While Ontario has taken the mega-project approach to the urban spa — complete with the controversial redevelopment of Ontario Place and a multistorey parking garage — Montréal offers another way forward: an expansion that works with its surroundings and feels as though it’s it has been there all along, with more room and more ways to unwind without going overboard.
FEATURE PHOTO BY THIBAULT CARRON.
