FOREST FOR REST || Sanctuary Tapping Youth's Mind and Ethos
Fostering a sanctuary where one journeys and lives in the moment, Forest for Rest finds its permanent space.
Forest for Rest sings the anthem of harmony and relaxation. The leisure and wellness house aspires to draw the younger generation in with its traditional footbath therapy. It stems from the Chinese medicinal practices, making its comeback to offer a quick refreshment to the stressed youth of this digital generation. Forest for Rest assumes an upgrade in its footbath offerings, refashioning the conventional spa treatment to adapt to the needs of today’s youthful generation.
The design firm Leaping Creative is behind the lush forest-like interior and architecture of the wellness house. As a branding design consultancy, they form a team of designers who come from backgrounds in business research, retail space and visual design, interactive installation, and material study. With this wealth of experience on the team, it’s no wonder that Forest for Rest mirrors a fantasy utopia in the existing world.
The symbolic beetle takes you through a journey in the forest
To resonate with the vibrancy of youth, Forest for Rest utilizes engaging storytelling throughout the interior space. Leaping Creative picked up Hercules’ beetle as the icon of the wellness house to evoke healing, energy, and vitality. The symbolic beetle ties the house’s narration together, where guests encounter an oasis after an arduous journey in the desert and end up in a wonderland, all while being guided by the beetle. The process immerses the often stressed and pressured youth into a solace where their body and mind are regenerated and re-empowered through footbath and spa pampering.
The wellness house is situated on a famed shopping street in Chongqing, nestled inside a shopping mall on its third floor. It provides two entryways: through the elevators from the mall or by the escalators enclosed in cave-like zinc plates that signal access to dreamland. Before entering the space, it is imperative to learn that Forest for Rest harbors on three divisions.
The arid desert
At the entrance, the first terrain is Desert, the representation of one’s physical suffering and mental exhaustion and where the space evolves with a sand-like palette, matcha-colored cushioned benches, mini-round tables floating over their cylindrical-shaped stem, and tiny globe light bulbs that hang from the ceiling. On one side, souvenirs are displayed and sold in a life-sized treasure box.
Souvenirs presented in a treasure box
Enter Forest, the transitional experience whisking guests from an arid desert to a lush forest. The atmosphere dims as pillars of warm overhead light gently waft from the ceiling to the floor. Art installations rest on one side of the room, flecked with golden Hercules beetles tailing the cactus-like figures. Green cushions pad marble benches where guests can sit for a while as they revel in the glory of the lounge area.
The forest is shrouded in shade with ethereal lighting
In the next room, the Moonlight Shallow unfolds. In this shoe-changing area, a golf course of grass-peppered surfaces and C-shaped, semi-enclosed benches construct a zigzag pathway, illuminating the steps with the bask of an LED blue moon hanging up in the corner wall. At the end of the trail, a door opens to the reception area where an oversized glass holds a single tree trunk to welcome the guests. Ellipses-patterned lights carpet the background and a gold “Forest Hideaway” signboard hangs from the ceiling. This is the Wonderland, the heart of the wellness house.
Wonderland proceeds with an earthy green color that continues along the hallways and doors, only to stop in the spa rooms. Inside, an ambient blue pervades. Spa beds lay adjacent to a mini-jacuzzi, bathed in the artificial light from the frosted glass on the ceiling that displays mottled glares and shadows. In other rooms, lazy-boy massage seats are ready to complete the immersion into the spatial ambiance of the wellness house. Each room was designed with an emphasis on comfort, privacy, and simplicity. No decorations, no pizzaz, just advocacy of tranquility.
Welcome to Wonderland
A winding path of earthy green and pink leads to the guest rooms
Tranquil spa room with jacuzzi
Zen Zheng, the Design Director of Forest for Rest, wants to connect with youth as the primary clients of the business. “Initially, we were not so sure about the design strategy, as being young and trendy could be done in many ways, but after a two-week-long market research, we became increasingly clear on what kind of brand experience we would like to offer to the young customers,” Zheng tells Pendulum Magazine. “It should be fun and intriguing. Its narrative of helping people relax and be energized after the spa should be reflected from the beginning of the contact. We started from the brand story, then the logo and the icon which extended to print materials, screens, and three-dimensional installations in a holistic manner.”
For Zheng and Leaping Creative, the design firm’s signature must fuse with the wellness house’s backstory and advocacy. The amalgamation of the visions led to the creation of a footbath and spa center that taps into the youth’s mind while also integrating Chinese practices in service, culture, and treatment.
PROJECT DETAILS
Project name: FOREST FOR REST
Location: Chongqing, China
Area: 2,700m2
Design firm:Leaping Creative
Design director: Zen ZHENG
Project manager: Dongzhi YOU
Image strategy & experiential process: CC CHEN, Evan CHEN, Jialu HONG
VI design: Evan CHEN, Linxiong YAN
Spatial design: Dingling YAO, Zhenyu YAO, Yanzhi TAN, Shuming YANG
Installation design: Lesi GONG, Liwei CHEN, Yinjie LI, Minghao LIANG, Jiening HUANG
Animation: TK@ MAXEL MEDIA
Photos:Minjie WANG
Matthew Burgos doesn’t talk to people. He interviews them and writes their story, carpeting the narratives with poetry. He’s an aspiring journalist, an indie-folk playlist devourer, a self-proclaimed maverick, and a die-hard, 90% dark chocolate glutton.
