VANA
AD Architectural Digest India|January - February 2021
VANA ONE OF THE WORLD'S MOST PIONEERING WELLNESS RETREATS LIES QUIETLY WITHIN THE SAL FORESTS AT THE FOOTHILLS OF THE HIMALAYAS. HERE, THE ELEGANT ARCHITECTURE BY THE BALEARIC DESIGN STUDIO ESTEVA I ESTEVA ARQUITECTURA AND ENCHANTING GARDENS PLANTED BY FOUNDER VEER SINGH ARE AS IMPORTANT TO THE THERAPEUTIC EXPERIENCE AS MASSAGE, MEDICINE AND YOGA
MOZEZ SINGH
VANA

These pebbled pathways lead to Vana, a wellness retreat in Dehradun. Hues change almost every season and creeping fig vines emerge from the dense forest on either side of the path.

Amidst the dense Sal forest and fruit orchards, the retreat is spread over 20 acres. Facing page: In the litchi orchard, a rustic iron firepit rests on a circular cobblestoned platform, where prayers are offered to seek blessings from Surya (the sun).

With its cobblestoned pathways, Sadarahalli granite stone in the quadrangle and drop-off points for the residences, and neutral palette of colours, Vana’s spaces evoke a sense of harmony and well-being to rest, reflect and connect with nature.

The retreat was designed by Esteva I Esteva Arquitectura—a boutique design studio from the Balearic Islands, Spain—in close consultation with Vana founder Veer Singh. The fine lines and straight-cut architectural parallels expressed in the layout are meant to indicate harmony between contemporary design and rustic simplicity. Facing page: Principal architect Antoni Esteva’s creative genius is reflected in the playful juxtaposition of geometrical shapes and linear woodwork with the natural greens and cobblestoned space.

This story is from the January - February 2021 edition of AD Architectural Digest India.

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This story is from the January - February 2021 edition of AD Architectural Digest India.

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