| THE WALKTHROUGH 04.10.08 10:40 AM |
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| River West Gets an Earth-Friendly Spa |
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| In November, Allyu spa overtook a 6,000-square-foot space previously devoted to a River West grocery store. Housed on the Riverwalk level of the sprawling 600 West Chicago building, the spa is a testament to sustainable construction, starting with the mesquite wood that covers the floor of the reception area. Just off that area, healing workshops take place in a private room with sliding glass doors that can hold 35. Unilever chose to use the room for a 30-person marketing meeting, complete with PowerPoint presentations and a catered lunch; executives from the company thought the venue was an ideal spot for channeling creative energy. |
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PHOTO GALLERY |
 | Guests can relax in a meditation area just beyond the stone-lined hallway.
Photo: Courtesy of Allyu |
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 | The front desk in the reception area can double as a bar during private events.
Photo: Courtesy of Allyu |
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 | A retail area offers beeswax candles and handmade soap, as well as jewelry from local designers.
Photo: Courtesy of Allyu |
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 | Stones from a Wisconsin field line the hallway leading to the meditation area.
Photo: Courtesy of Allyu |
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 | At the center of the meditation room, energy-channeling crystals perch atop a pedestal made of petrified wood.
Photo: Courtesy of Allyu |
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 | In the nail room, pedicure stations are made of tedelakt, sustainable Moroccan clay with antifungal properties.
Photo: Courtesy of Allyu |
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 | A Yorumba fetish door stands outside the stone-lined hallway. In ancient times, North African tribes used similar doors to signify rooms housing sacred objects.
Photo: Courtesy of Allyu |
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Field stones from Wisconsin line the walls of a hallway that leads to 10 treatment rooms, four shower rooms, a mediation area, and an infrared sauna. When booking the spa for an event, planners can arrange for treatments on site, and the spa can also provide guests with gift certificates for services.
Eco-friendliness rules the construction throughout: In the nail room, walls are made of reclaimed wood from a Midwestern barn (some slabs still contain traces of red paint), and manicurists work at tables made from fallen trees. Massages take place in dim rooms lined with sound-absorbing cork floors, and in the center of the spa, a spacious, tented meditation room provides seating made of adobe cob.
The ode to Mother Earth theme extends from the spa's construction to its decorations. Throughout Allyu, ancient artifacts from countries including India and Thailand appear. In the hallway, for example, guests come face to face with a Ganesha statue thought to be 1,100 years old. "I display objects from cultures that are earth-honoring," spa owner Tamara Wills explained. Though she welcomes any caterer to provide food for events at Allyu, Tamara recently partnered with Greg Christian Catering, a company whose focus on organic fare and composting is in keeping with Wills's beliefs. For spa events for five to 200 guests, Greg Christian can provide boxed lunches, appetizer spreads, or executive lunches.
—Jenny Berg
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