The new Aire Ancient Baths in Copenhagen has just opened its doors.
Does your concept of enjoyment include massages, treatments and hydrotherapy? Do you periodically need a physical and mental disconnect? Then surely you know the Aire Ancient Baths centers, those wellness spaces around the world where they welcome you a delicate aroma of orange blossom, hallmark of the house and sensory evocation that connects with the Sevillian roots of this company which opened its first center in the Santa Cruz neighborhood in 2004. Inspired by the tradition of the baths of ancient civilizations, they are located in historical spaces from cities like Barcelona, Seville, New York and Chicago.
the spanish company It has just opened its seventh location in Copenhagen, in an emblematic historic building in the Danish capital with a marked industrial character: what was the malt warehouse of the old Carlsberg brewery (from 1881), around which it is developing a new and vibrant district with an urban plan that also houses various restaurants, cafes, hotels and shops, office buildings and design apartments.
The Copenhagen space has been built on an old brewery.
The project has been a challenge for architects, engineers and interior designers, who have adapted the building to the spirit of these centers. "We made the decision to open a new Aire in Copenhagen because this is one of the leading cities in the world, and especially in Europe. The city is a center in Scandinavia, open, friendly and with a high quality of life”, explains Amadeo Serra, CEO of Aire Ancient Baths.
Ancient Baths Air Space in Seville.
With this new opening, the company -which has 550 employees globally- consolidates its international expansion plan and continues with a long tradition of enclaves with identity: an old warehouse from the s. XIX next to the El Born market in Barcelona; a Mudejar house-palace in the heart of the Santa Cruz neighborhood of Seville; a building on the ruins of the old souk of Almería and a farmhouse dating from 1467 in Vallromanes (30 km from Barcelona), to mention their locations in Spain. Its New York center is located in TriBeCa, in what was an old textile factory, and they have another one in Chicago (West River), also of an industrial nature. They already plan to also open in London (2021) and Toronto (2022).
Amadeo Serra, CEO of Aire Ancient Baths, in Chicago.
THE DNA OF DOWNTOWN COPENHAGEN
What is special about this opening? “Each one has something special, for the building, the cultural adaptation to the new city, because of how the Aire family lives it… In this case, also because it was carried out in the midst of a pandemic, an atypical environment in all areas”, explains Amadeo. “For us it means a new birth, a new member joining the family. Is it possible to decide which son you prefer? The origin, bases and values are the same, but each one is unique, with its own personality and capabilities that will allow it to develop in its future”.
Aire Ancient Baths in Chicago.
The new center of Copenhagen has 1,500 square meters of surface in which, at underground level, the characteristic sequence of bathrooms of the house is located, distributed throughout various rooms: contrasts between the tepid water bath in the Tepidarium (36º), the hot one in the Caldarium (40º) and the cold one in the Frigidarium (14º) in addition to the steam bath or Vaporium, the Mil Chorros bath or Balneum and the glorious Salt Bath or Flotarium, the best place to indulge in the pleasure of floating. In addition, silence, the dim light of dozens of candles and relaxing melodies that can be heard even underwater, and a menu of relaxing body massages and delicious rituals.
Candlelight, relaxing music, hydrotherapy... what more could you ask for?
“Our experience stems from the recovery of the tradition of the old baths taking elements such as water, massage, etc. as essential axes. that already existed –summarizes the CEO–. The combination of these elements, an environment and unique atmospheres and the attentive treatment offered is what makes it a differentiated offer. For this, we also try to learn from our environment, from the brands that pamper, appreciate and surprise their customers to try to adapt their vision to our proposal”.
Undoubtedly, the world crisis situation puts a different accent on this opening. “The special situation of the pandemic has influenced us, from a health point of view, in design and implement high-level measures in order to guarantee the safety of our employees and customers”, the person in charge responds. “In Copenhagen specifically, the impact of the pandemic has been low in absolute value and the normal situation is daily. However, even so, we have transferred these new action protocols, raising the required official standards.”
Yoga in the Air Ancient Baths of New York.
However, “in the centers as a whole, despite the economic implications that have occurred during the time of confinement in the different countries, We are very satisfied with the excellent reaction of our clients, who have quickly returned to continue enjoying the experience we offer”, he adds.
"We are experiencing a temporary situation, but not a structural one," he stresses. Right now, movement restrictions between countries are having a very direct and drastic effect on the reduction of leisure travel. But we think that the demand for travel and consumption of leisure and well-being is not going to decrease in the future, quite the contrary, will increase sustainably over time.
The Aire Ancient Baths in Seville, where it all began.
In fact, Amadeo is convinced that wellness tourism is going to rise. "Yes, totally. Health, wellness, relaxation, personal care, etc. These are concepts with a clear upward trend in the population as a way of understanding a healthy life. The demand will grow with a search for experiences linked to this segment. We think that when the impact of the pandemic diminishes with the arrival of treatments and the vaccine, there will be an explosion in this demand, so that we will witness a situation similar to that which occurred in the past after certain stages of risk or depression”.
All Aire Ancient Baths centers share the same spirit and aesthetic.