Hammam Spa is a surprising mix of old and new, public and private, ritual and technology. Antonio Tadrissi and Zark Fatah, the spa’s co-owners, set out to reinterpret the traditional hammam (Roman or Turkish baths) for a modern, urban clientele. They were inspired by a visit to Ischia, Italy, the site of Tadrissi’s wedding. Experiencing the island’s natural steam baths left the two men feeling rejuvenated and invigorated; they were struck with the urge to adapt the steam bath (along with concepts borrowed from other cultures) for a North American market.
The end result is an urban oasis unlike any other in the country’s largest city. Hammam is equipped with all the basic indulgences one would expect from a luxury spa, but the owners have gone beyond fluffy bathrobes and expensive potions and lotions to shape a unique spa experience. Tadrissi and Fatah wanted to create a space that would take clients out of the chaos of their hectic schedules and into a realm of peace and tranquility.
The spa was designed to ease clients into a state of deep relaxation, one room at a time. Manicure and pedicure treatments are conducted in one of the building’s front rooms, a large, open space filled with ample natural light and rich, elegant furnishings. A deep grey powder-coated steel table with the spa’s trademark middle eastern-inspired foliage pattern seems to emit a faint glow due to the vibrant green peeking through the piece’s leafy cutouts. Four pedicure stations are lavishly appointed in walnut and zebra wood with pistachio-coloured leather banquettes and silk shantung cushions. Each station is separated by a sheer, gauzy curtain with a view of a personal plasma television set. Scenes from a Cirque du Soleil performance flicker on the screens while Middle Eastern music plays softly in the background.
The individual treatment rooms reside in the middle of the spa. Intimate, dimly lit, sound-insulated spaces lull clients into a sense of calm repose; it’s a challenge to stay awake over the course of a soothing, hour-long message. Between treatments, guests wait in the spa’s lounge, which is decorated in rich shades of mocha and features striking panels of curving zebra wood – eight feet tall and 12 inches wide – that move like vertical blinds from either a solid wall or openings through which to catch glimpses of people walking by. If wearing nothing but a short, white robe doesn’t bother you from striking up conversation with strangers, then the lounge is a perfect place to meet someone.
The actual hammam is located deep within the building; Tadrissi says many clients forget that they are in the middle of downtown Toronto by the time they reach the steam bath. The 400-squre-foot room is fitted with two onyx sinks so that guests can cool off with cold water and enjoy the effects of the steam bath a little longer. Outside the hammam are two mist showers and two treatment rooms with cedar floors and black slate walls meeting the building’s original exposed bricks. The rooms each feature a heated onyx table and a reinterpreted Vichy shower with six pulsating jets for an invigorating cleansing.
It was very important to the spa’s owners to put an emphasis on the social aspect of Hammam. Most North Americans are unfamiliar with the rituals of the public bathing – even a spa where both sexes interact is somewhat uncommon. Tadrissi and Fatah wanted to bring this ancient experience to a sophisticated, modern clientele while ensuring that both men and women would feel comfortable. Those who wish to socialize in the lounge are encouraged to do so, but there is also a private men’s lounge for guys who feel shy in a spa setting.
And for luxury aficionados who prefer a discreetly indulgent spa experience, Hammam offers private couples rooms. These two exclusive suites – one with a Mediterranean theme, the other done up in Indian décor – include a private Jacuzzi and a large, black slate-tiled shower to enjoy between treatments. All services are performed within the suites; the only incentive to leave would be a relaxing steam.
Hammam Spa stands out as a uniquely modern take on old world rituals, Tadrissi and Fatah have succeeded in creating a space where over-stressed urbanites can get out of the fast lane and enjoy the simple life – if only for an afternoon.
Interiors magazine about "Hammam Spa"
Middle East meets King Street West at Toronto’s Hammam Spa,a modernreinterpretation of the traditional hammam (Roman or Turkish baths) for an overstressed, urban clientele.
By Gabrielle Hohnson
There is an appealing incongruity to the location of hammam, Toronto's newest luxury day spa. Braving the city's slushy sidewalks in the bitterly cold dead of winter, it is a special treat to enter the unassuming King Street West building and find 8,000 square feet of warmly inviting.
It is a decent into relaxation – literally. The spa is below ground level and the steps leading down to the reception area curve beautifully over a small waterfall and flower strewn pool. Exposed brickwork frames a frosted glass window with a laser-cut foliage design that is echoed throughout the space. A panel in the floor gives the appearance of being peeled back to allow a thriving tree to poke through. The wood under the front desk is similarly stripped away to expose fragments of bark, creating a nice harmony between nature and metropolis.