ABCPLUS Studio, specialized in sports facilities design, explains how to integrate a SPA into a sports complex: benefits, challenges, and the required expertise.
In recent years, the integration of wellness areas and SPAs within sports facilities has become an established trend, driven by the growing demand for holistic services that combine physical activity, health, and well-being.
According to the Global Wellness Institute, the segment of wellness integrated into sports grew by 6.5% annually between 2019 and 2023, with projections indicating further expansion in the coming years.
In Italy, Deloitte's 2024 Fitness Report shows that over 40% of mid-to-high-end fitness centers have introduced or are introducing SPA areas, wellness services, and post-workout recovery facilities. Among premium clubs and multisport centers, this figure rises to 65%.
Gyms, swimming centers, multisport complexes, and private clubs are thus radically transforming their offerings, enriching facilities with spaces dedicated to physical and mental recovery, responding to an increasingly demanding public focused on overall health. The "sport & wellness" model is no longer seen as a luxury, but as a competitive standard for customer loyalty and for broadening the user base.
The benefits of integrating SPA and Sport
Adding a SPA within a sports facility offers multiple advantages, both from a user experience and an operational and economic standpoint.
For athletes, the SPA is an ideal complement to physical activity: it supports muscle recovery, improves sleep quality, and reduces cortisol (the stress hormone) levels by up to 30%, according to a study published in the Journal of Sports Science & Medicine. Not surprisingly, over 70% of professional athletes now regularly use wellness services as part of their training and recovery programs.
From a management perspective, integrating a SPA allows for an expanded clientele, including users more interested in wellbeing than purely in sports performance. Research conducted by EuropeActive shows that centers equipped with wellness areas record on average 20–25% longer membership retention compared to traditional gyms, thanks to the wider range of services offered.
Moreover, SPAs offer additional monetization opportunities through day packages, combined memberships, beauty treatments, and massages. For many facilities, the wellness area now represents a strategic part of ancillary revenues, also helping to offset the seasonality of income during less active months.
We asked Architect Damiano Capuzzo, one of the founding partners of ABCPLUS Studio, to share his insights on the topic.
Here is his perspective:
Designing a SPA within a sports complex means changing the approach: it's not just about adding a sauna or a Kneipp path, but about creating a true experiential journey that complements physical activity and enhances its benefits.
The biggest challenge? Ensuring that the two worlds, sport and wellness, dialogue without overlapping or invading each other's spaces. It requires great care in architectural design and careful coordination of materials, circulation, and systems.
Integrating a SPA into a sports complex presents specific challenges due to the coexistence of two areas with very different requirements: one dynamic, noisy, and high-traffic; the other quiet, cocooned, and focused on personal care and relaxation.
It is essential to design spaces that ensure a high-quality experience without compromises.
The most relevant critical aspects include:
Damiano, what are the essential elements of a SPA within a sports complex?
As an amateur athlete myself, I allow myself to also answer from a personal perspective, based on my direct experience of using these spaces after physical activity.
In a sports context, the SPA must have a strong focus on muscle recovery and psychophysical balance.
Therefore, I believe all equipment working on hot-cold contrast, essential for the post-workout recovery phase, is indispensable.
In particular, a sauna is a must — a classic yet always effective tool for muscle relaxation and detoxification — accompanied by well-designed Kneipp paths, alternating hot and cold pools to stimulate circulation and support recovery.
Completing my ideal experience are emotional and multisensory showers, with jets of different pressures and temperatures, aromatherapy, and chromotherapy, which help relaxation and have a defaticating effect.
These are elements that not only enrich the user experience but are real tools to improve performance and post-workout wellbeing.
On behalf of the entire Aquaform team, we would like to sincerely thank Architect Damiano Capuzzo and the ABCPLUS Studio for sharing their valuable expertise and vision with us.
Their contribution has enriched our insights on the integration of SPAs within sports facilities, offering concrete and professional perspectives that help to better understand the challenges and opportunities of this evolving design sector.
Thank you for your collaboration and for the added value you have brought to our work.
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