Design for Leisure (DFL) recently finalised schematic design drawings and is now in the detailed design stage for the new 50,000sq ft (4,645sq m) World Spa in Brooklyn, New York.

Slated to open in 2020, World Spa will feature one of the largest coed hydrothermal bathing areas in New York and will offer bathing practices from Europe, Russia, Turkey, Finland and Japan, including public and private Russian banyas, an event-size Finnish sauna, a traditional European bathing circuit with snow rooms, a Kneipp walk and salt inhalation room, multiple Turkish hammam areas and much more.

Developers RYBAK Development And BK Developers have joined forces for the project, tapping Feng Shui consultants alongside DFL. Natural wood and organic materials are being used to create a “homey” feel in the expansive establishment.

World Spa will also include an East-West Bar & Grill with food and drinks, and a menu of European and Asian cuisine.

“It’s inspiring to see more U.S. developers embracing hydrothermal bathing areas as a key differentiator in their wellness offerings,” said Don Genders, CEO of Design for Leisure. “Not only does European-inspired hot/cold contrast therapy offer significant health and wellness benefits for guests, the self-service areas also have a tremendous ROI benefit and are a great alternative to staffed spa treatment rooms which can be underutilized and expensive to maintain.”

Leonid Khanin, project leader of World Spa said: “We want to give New Yorkers access to a true hydrothermal bathing circuit – letting them experience the intense warmth of a sauna, the benefits of a gentle steam bath or salt inhalation therapy and ending with the exhilaration of a cold plunge pool or a ‘roll in the snow’ in the snow room.”