Traveling can be really stressful, but if you're passing through the San Francisco International Airport (SFO), you can now stop to unwind and calm your mind at the SFO Yoga Room.
The Yoga Room was designed by the architectural firm Gensler and is currently located in Terminal 2 near the Recompose Area. Painted in calming blue hues, the SFO Yoga Room offers busy travelers a place where they can relax and self-reflect, featuring a floating wall that is meant to symbolize "a buoyant spirit and enlightened mind." In the coming spring, the architects plan to install large, felt rocks inspired by Japanese Zen gardens. As Melissa Mizell, the Design Director at Gensler, points out, "The Yoga Room gives modern travelers a space that fosters and supports quiet and reflection. Those aren’t emotions that people typically encounter at the airport.”
Travelers hoping to stop and relax at the SFO Yoga Room should look out for a black sign featuring a white pictogram of a person in the Lotus position (see gallery).
Key Themes Behind This Trend
- Airport Wellness Facilities
- The trend in creating spaces for wellness and relaxation in airports presents an opportunity for architects and wellness companies to collaborate in designing innovative solutions for modern travelers.
- Meditation Rooms
- The development of meditation rooms in airports presents an opportunity for yoga and meditation instructors, wellness companies, and airport managers to collaborate in providing travelers with calming experiences prior to their flights.
- Zen-inspired Design
- The trend in using Zen-inspired design in wellness spaces, such as the SFO Yoga Room, presents an opportunity for architects, interior designers, and wellness companies to collaborate and create innovative designs for wellness facilities in airports and other public spaces.
Where This Applies
- Architecture
- Opportunities for architects to design innovative airport wellness facilities and meditation rooms that prioritize passenger comfort, relaxation, and wellness.
- Wellness
- Opportunities for wellness companies and meditation/yoga instructors to collaborate with airports and architects in designing innovative spaces that promote relaxation for travelers.
- Airports
- Opportunities for airport managers to create welcoming spaces for passengers that prioritize their mental and physical wellbeing, and differentiate their airport from competitors.
