While working on a wellness and tourist complex on the banks of the Yenisei River, the architects at Vissarionov Studio set out to create healing spaces that would amplify the benefits of nature and medical treatments for both body and soul. The spatial solutions are designed to encourage interaction between the guests and the landscape, as well as each other.
The wellness and tourist complex is planned for construction on the right bank of the Yenisei, about an hour’s drive from Krasnoyarsk and the ski slopes of Zheleznogorsk.
The hilly site lies on a high right bank of the Yenisei between Krasnoyarsk and Zheleznogorsk, northeast of the village of Tartat. Its steep slope rises 30 to 50 meters above the water level, and the overall shape of the future complex is nearly square, with a central “cut-out” formed by the existing Nad Eniseem (“Over the Yenisei”) recreation center. Scattered among the dense forest, there are a few remaining buildings from a former Interior Ministry training base, while the river offers views of a group of uninhabited islands. This is, in essence, a slice of Siberian nature – lightly touched by human presence but still fully accessible. The panorama below shows the view from Sosnovoborsk toward Tartat, offering a sense of the area’s vastness.
 Architectural and artistic concept of the wellness and tourism complex on the Yenisei RiverCopyright: © Vissarionov Studio
Health Factory
The complex consists of two main components: a multifunctional building with guest rooms, combined with a spa center, and a medical wing – and an expansive wellness park.
The master plan echoes a classic sanatorium layout – with walking trails, mineral water pavilions, picturesque relaxation spots, and the obligatory fountain. The core and reference point is the main building, located closer to the village and the river. It serves as the hub of social life and the starting point of all paths.
 Yuri Vissarionov, Architectural bureau of Yuri Vissarionov We set out to create a special environment – a space with a healing effect: a health factory, an innovative architectural organism where every element is designed to restore physical and emotional well-being. Just as a factory transforms raw materials into a final product, our complex transforms the energy of nature and space into the health of its guests.
The complex functions as an integrated mechanism in which every element enhances the restorative experience – from the orientation of guest rooms toward the water landscape to the arrangement of communal spaces that support both active and passive recreation. Architecture, space, and environment become a healing factor, while nature serves as an indispensable ally in the process of recovery and the search for harmony.
The design of the wellness and tourism complex is shaped by a key urban planning strategy that acknowledges the significance of the water landscape at the regional level while also addressing development at the local scale. Two plazas are nestled within the curves of the building: a ceremonial events plaza facing the site and a quiet, intimate piazzetta on the river side. The event plaza becomes a vibrant hub of activity – a place for gatherings, celebrations, and leisure for visitors. The smaller piazzetta, turned toward the river, offers a meditative space where one can reconnect with nature and find inner harmony. The project’s concept is rooted in the seamless integration of scales – from the human to the regional – guided by a philosophical understanding of architecture as a timeless art form in which every element carries deep meaning.
 Architectural and artistic concept of the wellness and tourism complex on the Yenisei RiverCopyright: © Vissarionov Studio
The architects have developed the forested part of the site quite actively, inserting various facilities among the trees to enrich leisure options: covered gazebos, sports and playgrounds, a bandshell for open air concerts, and even a full-sized field for team sports and large events. The park is open to all visitors.
Architectural and artistic concept of the wellness and tourism complex on the Yenisei RiverCopyright: © Vissarionov Studio
Architectural and artistic concept of the wellness and tourism complex on the Yenisei RiverCopyright: © Vissarionov Studio
Architectural and artistic concept of the wellness and tourism complex on the Yenisei RiverCopyright: © Vissarionov Studio
Carpe Diem
The transformation that begins when one contemplates the majesty of nature starts within the walls of the main building. To integrate the complex healing and recreational program with the hospitality function, the architects chose an S-shaped floor plan, which offers several advantages: its curves avoid the monotony of a linear structure, create the two squares mentioned above, and provide sweeping views of the river and the landscape beyond. Moreover, this shape handles wind and other climate stresses well – no small matter in the harsh Siberian climate.
The plan also supports the project’s architectural narrative. At its core lies the image of an hourglass, symbolizing what the architects describe as “a metaphor for the unity of opposites – the fleeting nature of the moment and the eternity of being, a departure from the intense rhythm of urban life toward natural calm and equilibrium”. This idea is echoed in the building’s terraced ends and overhanging cantilevered structures featuring large “screens”. The color palette and cladding materials reference the region’s natural riches: Krasnoyarsk Krai is known for its reserves of platinum, copper-nickel ores, and gold.
Architectural and artistic concept of the wellness and tourism complex on the Yenisei RiverCopyright: © Vissarionov Studio
The complex’s recreational spaces, just like the park, are open to everyone and occupy the entire ground floor of the main building. Here, one finds the reception area, shops, a food court and several restaurants, a conference hall, and a spa zone with a swimming pool and a variety of baths, accessible either from the lobby or via portals tucked into artificial hills.
Architectural and artistic concept of the wellness and tourism complex on the Yenisei RiverCopyright: © Vissarionov Studio
The upper floors contain guest rooms and a range of medical departments: hydrotherapy and balneology, physiotherapy, climatotherapy, cosmetology, psychological relaxation, and more – including Ayurveda and dry floating. The cantilevered fifth floor, with the best panoramic views, is reserved for luxury suites.
One of the project’s key features is its combination of scales, designed to intensify the guest’s experience and deepen their sense of presence in the moment. From their room, guests see the vast Yenisei and endless forests; walking through the grounds, they hear birdsong and rustling leaves. Spacious communal areas give way to cozy nooks; bustling squares lead to meditative paths. All of this makes it possible to be with others or alone – and, most importantly, to follow one’s own path to harmony.
Architectural and artistic concept of the wellness and tourism complex on the Yenisei RiverCopyright: © Vissarionov StudioArchitectural and artistic concept of the wellness and tourism complex on the Yenisei River. THe first floorCopyright: © Vissarionov StudioArchitectural and artistic concept of the wellness and tourism complex on the Yenisei River. A standard floorCopyright: © Vissarionov StudioArchitectural and artistic concept of the wellness and tourism complex on the Yenisei River. Plan of the fifth floorCopyright: © Vissarionov StudioArchitectural and artistic concept of the wellness and tourism complex on the Yenisei RiverCopyright: © Vissarionov StudioArchitectural and artistic concept of the wellness and tourism complex on the Yenisei RiverCopyright: © Vissarionov StudioArchitectural and artistic concept of the wellness and tourism complex on the Yenisei RiverCopyright: © Vissarionov StudioArchitectural and artistic concept of the wellness and tourism complex on the Yenisei RiverCopyright: © Vissarionov Studio
“The project reflects a deep philosophy: the body as a temple of the soul, the search for inner balance through connection with nature, where an ideal environment becomes a remedy for urban stress and noise. Architecture here becomes a tool for healing, with every element contributing to a meditative atmosphere that helps restore strength and foster inner harmony. This wellness complex on the banks of the Yenisei creates a unique environment for the human being. We offer guests the chance to rediscover themselves and reconnect with timeless values through interaction with nature and architecture” – concludes Yury Vissarionov his story.
Architectural and artistic concept of the wellness and tourism complex on the Yenisei RiverCopyright: © Vissarionov Studio
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