The HVN (pronounced Haven).
The Grade II listing façade of Knightsbridge gate has witnessed an internal transformation into a unique sensory led approach to wellness. zynk Design were briefed by The HVN CEO, Muriel Zingraff, who visioned a conscious wellbeing retreat based on the Japanese practise of Forest Bathing (Shinrin Yoku). The HVN is pioneering a polysensoy approach to wellbeing, engaging all 5 sense to achieve seamless peace and calm for guests.
The HVN features experiential retail space, forest bathing pre-treatment area, six treatment suites, a dedicated consultation room, two unique recovery pods, and seminar space. All elements have been carefully considered to ensure a uniquely tranquil environment; a reprieve from the hustle and bustle of city life. In order to create the right environment to facilitate 45 different treatments, zynk Design needed to utilise every inch of the space. Careful consideration and coordination were required to overcome difficulties with the existing landlord services and the compromising demise of the lower ground floor.

The HVN has been crafted with the philosophy that the space should enhance your wellbeing too. The interior design concept was centred around neuroaesthetics, aiming to evoke intense feelings of calm and relaxation by the cognitive perception of the objects, shapes and colours. This approach to neuroaesthetic design is a first for luxury wellness environments.

To do this, zynk Design used a multitude of sustainable elements which took inspiration from the woodlands and ancient forests of the UK. We used organic shapes, natural textures and diffused light to accurately represent the warmth and cocooning quality of ancestral caves. The HVN allows us to draw upon our primal instinct to connect with the space around us and the innate human desire to embrace the essence of nature. Tactile Clay finishes are embedded with botanical imprints to create a continuous thread of the forest, whilst live and preserved fauna hang from the canopy, creating a 360 representation of forest bathing. A bespoke steel staircase links the ground and lower ground floor, which was clad in clay to seamlessly blend into the surrounding space. HVN’s therapeutic and restorative scent is fed through the space paired with the sounds of nature and birdsong. The dappled natural light compliments the Circadian lightings as it mimics the patterns of the sun, being transferred through the space by reflections off the delicate glass chandelier in the void.

The HVN features specially commissioned art which are in complete symbiosis with the architecture. Examples include Ossimoro by Italian sculptor Andrea Serra. The bespoke stone sculpture represents the union of opposing natural elements. The Cove Seat is a hand carved, organically shaped seating element designed to cocoon the user in a private waiting space. Crafted by GoldFinger designs, the seat uses ethically sourced wood from trees fallen to the ground naturally.