Verona-based spa and wellness design firm Studio Apostoli has been appointed to support the creation of a wellness-centric eco-resort 40km from the Mongolian capital of Ulaanbaatar.

Developed by Devjikh Tsog Khugjil, Tavan Jargal Resort is currently in the preliminary design and business planning stages.

The vision for the 13-hectare development is to create a high-end wellness oasis tucked away in a protected national park that showcases Mongolian culture and the area’s natural beauty through thoughtful architecture.

Nestled between rolling hills and water sources, the resort has been designed with organic shapes and natural materials to help it integrate seamlessly into the landscape.

The resort, owned by the Altangobi Group, will consist of a two-level hotel, a 2,650sq m spa, 27 villas – some featuring their own wellness facilities – and 19 traditional Mongolian nomadic dwellings called Gers. Three F&B areas will complete the offering.

Studio Apostoli founder Alberto Apostoli told Spa Business that his team is overseeing architectural and interior design, spa consulting and management, business modelling and planning, marketing and the sustainability strategy.

“The concept behind Tavan Jargal is rooted in wu xing, or the five elements of Eastern philosophy,” he said. “They’re combined to ensure harmony and balance and are nurtured by sustainability, one of the founding values of the development.

“We’re creating a paradise immersed in a nature reserve. Here the human/nature relationship will be the subject of a true celebration of wellbeing, stimulated and pursued in every detail, choice of materials, orientation of buildings, volumetric composition and more.”

Apostoli opted for a range of different details throughout the project to ensure guests remain constantly connected with nature. For example, large floor-to-ceiling windows will boast throughout while in the spa a ceiling oculi will sit above the circular onsen so guests can bathe under the stars.

The spa will feature five treatment rooms – three single and two double – and be divided into a family area and an adults-only space. Facilities confirmed so far include two pools, an onsen and a fitness area.

While devising the treatment menu, Studio Apostoli was inspired by the practice of chua k'a: an ancient Mongolian massage approach that is claimed to deeply relax using slow and deep manoeuvres to reharmonise energies throughout the body.

“Respect for the local territory, traditions and materials guided the entire design of Tavan Jargal Resort and its spa area,” concluded Apostoli, adding that a spa operator is yet to be confirmed.