Renovation of Spa Běloves

CTU in Prague - Faculty of Civil Engineering

Project idea

SPA Běloves – Sanus per aquam

Long tradition of natural spring water leading back to the 14th century.
Foundation of the first spa resort in 1818. Rest and recuperation nestled in the valley of the river Metuje. The glamour of the Belle Epoque and the 1920´s.
But also a steep decline brought on by the unfortunate location by the country borders, destructive war and political unstability. The final blow to the spa complex delivered by the same agent to which the spa owes its prosperity – water and a series of heavy floods.

Spa Běloves is situated on the outskirt of Náchod, just on the country border on a strategic main road to neighbouring Poland. The area is nestled between steep slopes of Dobrošov hills and the river Metuje. Currently the spa is delapidated, its many historical buildings under a threat of pull down. The main source of its famous and tasty natural mineral water is closed due to insufficient cleaning of chemical impurities.

Renovation and proposed developement of the area would bring back a much needed spa status for the town Náchod as well as boosting turism which comes with more job and bussiness oportunities.
The project design focuses on integrating the spa complex via new pedestrian roads connecting the spa with train station and providing better acess to the town center along a riverside promenade. Additional part of the project focuses on completion of residential parts of Běloves, transformation of outdated industrial areas and deals with parking capacities and placement of the fire station.

The project creates new spa structures for various clientele while dealing with difficult terrain configuration and flood lines, which it compensates for using an elevated path on a rampart leading through the new parks as an horizontal lookout. It focuses on renovation of historic spa buildings and creates a representative public square in Běloves. Two new landscape parks connected by a footbridge contain a new water feature – an old river basin brought back to its former route after years of unsuitable interferences to the river ecosystem.

Project description

The main spa complex is divided into three sections.

The first section serves as the main entrance and offers spaces for events and wellness. It is situated in the old spa complex where new buildings and the main promenade accentuate restored historic objects.

The second section is a small old heating plant that used to provide heating for the spa complex. The project proposes its conversion to a culture center with museum of the spa tradition in Běloves. The tall chimney is restored into a pivotal point for the promenade – it is the important landmark on the crossroad of new pedestrian roads.

The third section is situated in the most remote part of the plot, it is adjacent to the countryside and forested slopes. It provides a calm luxury refuge for the patients coming to Běloves for treatment of cardiovascular and kinetic systems. Te new complex overlooks the whole of Metuje valley with splenind views of the Náchod Chateau.

The proposed spa complex is enveloped in a large landscape park. It was designed in mind with the natural conditions dictated by the river – its flood lines, the open green space needed for water absorption and for wildlife. Park is also a traditional ammenity of spa arcitecture and provides pleasant calming environment for the patients.

A proposed elevated path meanders through the park, lifted up on a rampart. It provides vital protection against floods while leading the pedestrian via an educational path with views of the landscape. It connects the main focal points wiht complementary pavilions and is accessible via stairs or ramps and platforms. It forms a permanent flood barrier pierced by main pedestrian roads which can be blocked when flood arrives.

The project also focused on the flowing integration of the new structures into adjacent landscape. New hospitality structures enclose the spa complex on the east border and provide additional forms of turism and uses - agricultural turism and hippotherapy via the concept of alberghi diffusi - a developement concept which originated in Italy and represents a sustainable way of developing small towns and villages while adjusting the local bussiness opportunities to new forms of tourism.

Technical information

The design proposes new main pedestrian roads to ease the orientation in the area and to create a better connection of the spa complex.

The design of structures aims to minimize the impact on the historic building – it emphasizes a complementary relationship which creates a calming ambience. The original structuers are preserved with minimal intervention.

New drill holes are incorporated to the landscape design via a pavilion for drinking cures. The design adjusts historic buildings to fit modern water treatment facilities and swimming pools.

The needs for required guest parking places are met by a new parking house, which is incorporated into the steep slopes of the adjacent hills. This solution was chosen for its low impact on the scale and proportions of a village architecture.