03 Aug 2016
Why architect Robert Henry is designing portable spa furniture
BY Jane Kitchen
Architect Robert Henry has partnered with family-owned spa equipment and furniture manufacturer TouchAmerica for The Robert Henry Design by TouchAmerica, a collection of convertible, portable spa furniture and equipment.
“This is our first foray into designing branded spa furniture,” said Henry. “Stewart (Griffith, TouchAmerica CEO) and I got together and asked, ‘What does the spa market need?’ and ‘What do hotels and resorts that don’t want a full-service spa need to satisfy market demand?’ The answer was convertible, portable equipment and furniture.”
With those goals in mind, Henry designed three core pieces: The Masquerade, a hospitality day bed that converts into a massage table; The Concierge, a roaming spa cart that includes a warming drawer, attachments for mag lamp and steamer, pull-out manicure table, retractable power cord and storage; and Zero-G, a lightweight zero-gravity lounger that features stretch bands to evenly distribute weight.
“Based on feedback from our advisory board, TouchAmerica is prioritising the development of equipment, furniture and retail solutions to take the wellness experience outside the spa’s four walls,” said Griffith.
Henry is also working on two big projects: the upcoming Spa by Ivanka Trump, and the the 72,000sq ft (6,689sq m) Governors Island European-style hydrotherapy spa planned for New York's Governor's Island.
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