[VIDEO] Adler Spa Resort Sicilia: Loyalty to the Land, Freedom to the Peace Seekers

Opened in July 2022, the Adler Spa Resort Sicilia is one of the recent additions to the family business whose story began with a widow of 12 children in the late 1700s. 

To ignore the historical elements of the Sanoner family is to undermine the very foundation on which the architectural design of the Adler resort rests. While the Italian architect Hugo Demetz of DemetzArch firm devised one of the most beautiful additions to the Adler collection, the soul of the establishment links to the family’s journey through time as well as the Sicilian environment.  

Imagine being widowed in the late 1700s with 11 children to support, while expecting another. Anna Maria Sanoner took charge of the family estate after her husband’s passing. Her decision to sell the small inherited farm and retain a meadow in the Frea mountains, while navigating the challenges of war, instilled a business sense within her children. In 1810, her son Joseph Anton I Sanoner made an important purchase — the Daverda Inn, later named the Adler Inn and now known as Adler Dolomiti, the first of many to come.

Situated in Val Gardena, the Adler Spa Resort Dolomiti finds its home in an area rich in woodland, recorded as early as the year 999. The region became renowned for wood-crafting and doll-making. Despite wars and power struggles, doll-making continued, just as the hotel business flourished, transforming into a central gathering place for news. The hotel’s ownership experienced wars and ever-changing borders, inspiring the name Adler, meaning “eagle” and symbolizing loyalty, morality and liberty.

The symbolic notion of the eagle unites the various Adler establishments, where the history of people and place resides in every brick, where respect for the environment greets visitors at the entrance gates and where peace of mind, body and soul reigns. At the Adler Spa Resort Sicilia, the spirit remains unchanged.

READ: “The Flight of the ADLER” (Adler = eagle), a book that documents the history of the family and important moments throughout time, created to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the Adler Resorts.

Half-in, Half-out: Buildings Within the Sicilian Hills

Once crossing through the entrance gates of the Adler Spa Resort Sicilia, the only fully visible buildings include the reception hall and the restaurant. The majority of the 90 suites available at the resort, each with a private terrace overlooking the Mediterranean Sea below, sit snuggly within the Sicilian hills. The buildings are topped with vegetation, including a number of local species such as the palms seen on top of the main swimming pool facility. The European Fan Palm (Chamaerops humilis) is a specially protected type of small palm, typical of the Mediterranean vegetation and the only palm native to Europe.

“We collaborated with a specialized company named Piante Faro from the area of Catania. The story of this company has deep roots that sink into the territory founded over 50 years ago and is a leader in international floriculture and in the production of Mediterranean plants. We used the most advanced draining technologies and fertile soil to minimize the need for artificial irrigation and fertilizers,” Lukas Sanoner explained in an email correspondence with ArchiExpo e-Magazine.

🎥 Watch our video to embark on a visual exploration of this extraordinary retreat.

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) is responsible for the nature reserve of Torre Salsa over an area of 762 hectares. The Sanoner family collaborated with the WWF on the afforestation of native species, especially with the removal and replacement of the non-autochthonous Eucalyptus trees. 

“The non-autochthonous Eucalyptus have highly flammable oils, a big danger for the entire nature reserve because of the many bushfires Sicily has during hot dry summers. Furthermore, the leaves of Eucalyptus trees contain allelopathic substances, chemical compounds that hinder and obstruct the growth of local species; so when their leaves fall, native trees lose ground. It has complicated the recovery of native species since they cannot compete with these evolutionary adaptations.”

The vegetated rooftops not only provide more usable land for native flora but help integrate the buildings into the landscape and mitigate stormwater runoff during the rainy months of spring and fall. By absorbing rainwater and reducing the amount of runoff that enters the stormwater systems, they also help improve water quality, as stated by Lukas Sanoner.

“The visual aspect is clearly beneficial but vegetated rooftops also have many practical benefits for our guests. For instance, they reduce noise levels and help to regulate the temperature inside the buildings. So, at the end of the day, they contribute to a more comfortable and healthy living for our guests.”

The Use of Building Materials of Local Origins

The Sanoner family worked with the architect to include local building materials, although the size of the project required a certain quantity of materials to be imported. They used natural unbaked Sicilian clay for the wall cladding in many of the interiors, prioritizing this material for its natural humidity control. They applied Opus Signinum as a finishing material for the flooring; it’s an ecological material comprising minutely crushed bricks and lime mortar. Opus Signinum, known for being an extremely resistant and waterproof material, dates back to the Roman era when it was used for hydraulic pipes and to pave streets. 

As for the exterior, some of the buildings feature clad in Tuff, a Volcanic rock sourced from the wild terrain around Monte Etna that naturally helps keep the internal spaces cool in the summer and warm in the winter. As mentioned, the large scale of this project required multiple materials suppliers. In order to complete the project in a timely manner, the Tuff brick walls used for the exterior were supplied by three companies in different locations, including one local manufacturer.

“Tuff has been used in the construction of load-bearing walls and cladding for centuries. It offers a great variety of tones and shades and has an alveolar structure where 46% of the volume is occupied by alveoli. For this reason, and because of its composition, it has good acoustic and thermal insulation properties. The interior walls are coated with a special material called ‘Terracruda’, an ancient method of creating cladding consisting of natural materials such as clay and dry grass handed down from African tradition. This system retains internal temperatures, whether hot or cool, further reducing energy consumption.”

READ: Transforming Volcanic Ash from the Foot of Mount Etna into a Tile Glaze

The choice of materials and intelligent design layout made it so no heating or air conditioning is required. Locally sourced Sicilian cedar wood was used to create a series of external terraces and provides natural shading in the form of the brise-soleils. The timber material also covers most of the internal floors.

Placed 80 meters above sea level, water plays an important role in the design and architectural plan of the resort. In addition to having direct access to the beach that borders the Torre Salsa-Oriented Nature Reserve, the spa complex features three specialist pools—a freshwater infinity pool, a saltwater hydro-massage pool and a thalassotherapy pool—as well as a 25-meter sports pool.

“We chose a color [for the tiles in the pools] that would create a calming and serene effect and that complements the color scheme of the buildings and the natural landscape. For instance, the muted dark-gray color can evoke the peacefulness of a Sicilian Mountain range after a rainy day to inspire a sense of tranquillity and harmony and go perfectly with the gray cedar wood and tuff of the buildings to create a sense of balance and serenity. We wanted to avoid the typical blue color of pools to avoid trying to imitate the Mediterranean Sea we have in front of us. I mean, the trick is not to compete with nature but to fit in!”

Spa: The Smell of Hickory and a Panoramic Sauna

A small wooden structure stands on the far right side of the property, across from the restaurant. Guests enter here and descend into the main spa facility where they can have a massage and well-being treatments or walk down the corridor, crossing a bridge under which a river runs through the spa, to the quiet room where they can enjoy a moment of calm. At the end of the corridor, a glass door opens to an outdoor terrace with a small, table-top hickory fire that welcomes them to relax over chitchat and a view of the sea. Passing the terrace, they can reach the hammam and double-deck panoramic sauna. Nearby, they can walk up a set of stone stairs and finish their experience in the Thalasso pool which overlooks the Mediterranean Sea.

The SPA’s cabins and open spaces are flooded with natural light through large modern windows, offering a close-to-nature atmosphere and stunning ocean views. The interiors feature natural materials like cedarwood with colorful Arabic-inspired ornaments. Cozy cabins have cedarwood furniture and mud-covered walls, creating a relaxing, earthy atmosphere. The lighting is modern yet reserved, maintaining the natural ambiance with subtle highlights and candles at the reception.

Embracing History, Nature and Tranquility at Adler Spa Resort

The Adler Spa Resort Sicilia beautifully combines history, nature and tranquility to create an exceptional retreat. Rooted in the Sanoner family’s legacy, this resort harmoniously integrates with its Sicilian surroundings, embracing the symbolic eagle that symbolizes loyalty and liberty. With buildings nestled in the hills and vegetated rooftops, the resort preserves the environment while offering breathtaking views. 

The use of local materials, such as Sicilian clay and volcanic Tuff, adds authenticity and sustainability to the resort’s design. Locally sourced cedar wood and intelligent layout choices eliminate the need for heating or air conditioning, promoting a natural and comfortable atmosphere. The spa facilities provide a haven of relaxation, with cozy cabins featuring natural elements and lighting that preserves the serene ambiance. 

In essence, the Adler Spa Resort Sicilia invites guests to experience a retreat where history, nature and well-being intertwine. It is a sanctuary where one can find solace, immerse in the beauty of the surroundings and discover a profound connection to the land.