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A thatched pavilion over turquoise water, a jetty leading to it, islands on the horizon

A spa above the reef

Sundara Spa + Studio, Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands · Caribbean

Expertise
Typology
Hospitality
Components
Spa / Wellness
Attributes
Island, Waterfront, Sustainability, Wellness
Scale
260 m² / 2,800 ft²
A hand holding smoking sage beside a brass singing bowl, the sea through the window
The lobby in daylight, a glass floor showing the water, glazing open to the sea
The lobby: a glass floor, wicker chairs against a stone wall, the studio beyond the doors
A treatment bed over a glass floor, the sea and a headland through the glass corner

thatch, travertine, glass built over the water every gaze turned outward

Place

Place: Where the Caribbean meets the Atlantic

Oil Nut Bay occupies a remote peninsula on the eastern tip of Virgin Gorda, where the Caribbean meets the Atlantic and the water shifts from deep blue to translucent green depending on the light and the hour. OBMI has shaped this community from its earliest master plan, establishing an architectural language of low buildings, natural materials and close attention to the landscape. Sundara Spa + Studio distils that language into a single building.

The pavilion from above, the bay, a beach and palms behind it, green hills beyond
Sundara in its corner of Oil Nut Bay

Approach

Approach: Built over the water

Named for the Sanskrit word for beauty, Sundara is built directly over the water in a secluded corner of the bay. Its form is deliberately minimal, made to settle into its surroundings and turn every gaze outward. Treatment rooms sit in the corners of the plan to open the views in two directions: to the horizon on one axis, and through floor-level windows to the marine life below on another. Turtles, rays and reef sharks move beneath guests as they unwind, an encounter that depends on the precision of the structure around them.

“The Sundara Spa + Studio integrates into nature and respectfully anticipates its whims. It remains airtight against the winds, conserves energy, and is protected against sea surges. It is a gem of the Oil Nut Bay resort, mixing the very best of precision engineering, ambitious design credentials, and genuine visitor experience.”

Suselmis Pereira · Project Designer
A treatment bed over a glass floor, the sea and a headland through the glass corner
A treatment room, held in the corner of the plan
Sundara Aerial View

Programme

Programme: Open to the elements

A hospitality bar, retail space, hair and nail salon, and treatment rooms sit alongside a wellness studio enclosed by four walls of fully operable glass, which open entirely to the elements or close for comfort. A sail-in, sail-out arrival, with railings omitted and docking integrated into the structure, lets guests step straight from open water into stillness.

The lobby: a rattan pendant, a stone wall, the bar, a glass floor and the sea beyond
The hospitality bar
A figure in a headstand on a glass floor, the sea open behind
The wellness studio, open to the elements
The studio at dusk: three yoga mats, glass walls on every side, the sky pink over the sea
The wellness studio at dusk

Experience

Experience: The seascape sets the scene

Materiality carries the idea through. Outside, a thatched roof and regional detailing reference the island’s vernacular, while travertine cladding gives the work its long-term resilience. The interiors, delivered with CID Design Group, work in soft neutrals and natural textures so that the colours of the seascape set the scene. Wood-slatted canopies and vertical screens draw filtered light and shadow across the day, and ambient and underwater lighting carry the experience into the night.

A treatment room: a slatted ceiling, white curtains, a glass floor, the sea through the corner
A treatment room: wood slats, soft neutrals, the seascape
Yoga practice at Sundara
Yoga practice at Sundara
The lobby in daylight, a glass floor showing the water, glazing open to the sea
Lobby
Sundara Spa & Studio ONB

Resilience

Resilience: Steady above the water

Resilience shaped every decision. Building over water in a region prone to hurricanes and earthquakes called for rigorous engineering: deep foundations, pressure-release mechanisms, and specially engineered glazing let the structure withstand extreme weather while holding its integrity. Designing for the changing climate of the Caribbean was the ground everything else was built on.

The lobby at dusk, the sky pink through the glazing, the glass floor lit from below
The lobby at dusk
A hand holding smoking sage beside a brass singing bowl, the sea through the window

Awards

  • 2026
    • AHEAD Americas, Shortlisted, Spa & Wellness
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