Material as a vector of well-being  

Anchored in the calm waters of the Saint Lawrence River in the Old Port of Montreal, Bota Bota doesn’t just float – it breathes. Conceived as a space of transition between the city’s noise and silence, between the raw structure of the boat and the softness of care, this floating spa embodies a sensitive vision of architecture. A vision where material plays a central, almost therapeutic, role. 

A dialogue between the existing and the living 

Originally, Bota Bota was a ferry from the 1950s. When it was entrusted to Sid Lee Architecture, the goal wasn’t to radically transform it, but to listen to it. To preserve its metal framework, honor its industrial lines, and breathe new life into it. 

“Architecture doesn’t heal, but it can help,” co-founder Geneviève Emond once said in Mu et sa vision. And it is precisely this philosophy that permeates the design of the space: turning material into a channel for calm, a vector of sensation. 

Wood: The warmth of a refuge 

In the onboard saunas and the Gardens, wood takes center stage. Chosen for its thermal and emotional qualities, it evokes cocooning, intimacy, and the organic. The touch of raw wood, its stored warmth, its subtle scent — all create a comforting space. It helps visitors relax and reconnect with a simple, essential bodily experience. Every plank tells a story of warmth and silence. 

Stone and steam: The breath of the hammam

The hammams, wrapped in dark stone and mineral surfaces, offer a steamy, muffled atmosphere in stark contrast. Here, the material becomes almost liquid, diffused in the steam. Walls glisten, sounds melt away. The stone absorbs, retains, and slowly releases heat, enhancing the sensation of total immersion. Entering the hammam feels like stepping into a dense cloud, a space without edges, perfect for dissolving tension. 

Steel: Industrial memory and structure 

Steel, omnipresent in the ship’s framework, has not been hidden. On the contrary, it has been revealed, embraced. This raw material recalls the place’s origins, its portside identity, its strength. It creates a striking contrast with the softer textures of the relaxation and treatment areas. A constant reminder: relaxation doesn’t float in the abstract — it rests on solid, visible foundations. 

Living water: Cold baths and whirlpools 

Water, the ultimate living element, is the thread running through the thermal experience. In the cold baths, it is striking — almost jarring. Submerged in a stainless steel tub or dark pool, the body is awakened, refocused. In the whirlpools, effervescence reigns. The materials are chosen not only for their resistance to the elements, but also to enhance the play of light, movement, and warmth. 

Every bubble, every splash converses with the nearby river, creating a sense of continuity between contained and open water. 

Architecture in the Service of Care 

Bota Bota is not just a backdrop — it is an experience. Here, architecture is designed as a sensory journey, an invitation to slow down, to feel, to inhabit one’s body differently. Far from ostentatious luxury, the design favors the authenticity of materials, the simplicity of form, and the fluidity of transitions between spaces. 

Come aboard and enjoy a unique sensory experience.