The moon is an apt muse for a hospitality space: remote, rarified, and poetic. However, the closest travelers can get to the lunar surface without a space shuttle may be the intimate wellness concept Green Massage in Shanghai.

Home to just one treatment room and a striking reception area, Green Massage spans nearly 3,400 square feet of a newly constructed commercial volume in the city’s eastern Huangpu District. Nestled within the bustling hub, a quiet gray ambiance welcomes visitors into a vignette softened by circular motifs and curves, which locally based firm Vermilion Zhou Design Group conceived to infuse calm. “This is a journey for the guest to recover from their fatigue, and the healing way is to touch for the human’s five senses,” says Vermilion cofounder Kuang Ming(Ray) Chou. “To satisfy the basic function and to upgrade the whole sense of experience.”

Beyond concrete tones and metal panels, a palette of polished black marble surfaces and rubber flooring adds texture to the experiential sanctuary. “We use few materials in our design, to simplify the visual,” Chou adds.

The lunar influence manifests in a sleek light fixture suspended above reception as well as art installation “Moon Light” by artist Yang Yong. Ambient backlighting enhances the piece, which depicts a detailed portrait of the cratered surface to more deeply evoke tranquility and inspire reflection. “The moonlight and the surface always give people the quiet sense,” says Chou. “The whole environment seems like cold, but actually has a warm tone.”

Photos by Yunpu Cai