Basalt Architects have been commissioned to lead the design of the world’s first Midjourney Spa, a new type of wellness facility introduced as part of Midjourney Medical. The flagship Midjourney Spa is planned to open in 2027 on Grant Avenue, just steps from Union Square in downtown San Francisco.
Midjourney has previously been known for pioneering work in AI-driven image generation but is now also turning its attention to health and wellbeing, with the aim of making advanced medical imaging more accessible.
The facility will span approximately 25,000 sqft, combining traditional spa amenities – hot pools, steam rooms, cold plunges, and fitness facilities – with purpose-designed spaces for advanced body imaging.
At the core of the project is a new full-body ultrasonic tomography system developed by Midjourney. It is based on rapid, repeated, and non-invasive ultrasound scans performed in water. The technology uses sound waves to generate precise tomographic images of the body’s internal structure, which are then assembled into a three-dimensional model. This allows users to track changes in their body over time and adopt a proactive, preventative approach to their health.
The idea behind the spa emerges from a simple yet radical question: if advanced health imaging becomes faster, less expensive, and more accessible, where does it belong?
Midjourney’s answer is not a hospital or a healthcare facility – but a spa.
“It should be a place you love going, whether it's by yourself or with friends,” the company says. “The scans are a side effect—you barely think about them when you go to the spa. But suddenly, you have a huge library of health data.”
For Basalt Architects, this vision became the guiding principle of the design.
“The project offers a unique opportunity to develop a new type of architecture that sits at the intersection of healthcare, self-care and wellbeing,” says Hrólfur Cela, partner at Basalt Architects.
“One of the fundamental premises of the project was to integrate this emerging technology into the experience itself. Rather than adapting the technology to the environment, we asked how the environment could adapt to the technology. We were therefore inspired by the idea of making the invisible visible. Around us are constant forces and waves that we do not consciously perceive, yet they still affect us. By working with movement, light, sound, and water, these forces become present in the space and part of the guest experience, allowing visitors to sense both what is happening within their own bodies and how they are connected to the layered world around them.”
Midjourney Spa is designed as a holistic experience where technology and environment are interwoven. Guests move through a sequence of spaces where light, water, and sound shape the atmosphere in each setting. The cylindrical scanners play a prominent role within the spaces both as sculptural centerpieces and spatial backdrop. Warm amber and golden tones create a comfortable and inviting environment that evokes curiosity rather than resembling a traditional healthcare facility.
The San Francisco site will house the first scanners in a planned global network of Midjourney Spas. There, guest experience design, subscription models, and service offerings will be developed and tested. The project is fully funded by Midjourney and is part of the company’s ambitious long-term vision to deploy up to 50,000 scanners in spas worldwide by 2031.
In addition to Basalt Architects, a diverse group of specialists is involved in the project:
Project Team
Client & Technology: Midjourney
Lead Architect & Design: Basalt Architects
Architect of Record: Rapt Studio
Spa & Wellness Consultant: TLEE Spas + Wellness
Lighting Design: Pritchard Peck Lighting
Structural Engineering: Tipping Structural
MEP Engineering: Alphatech
Sound Design: Myrra Sound Studio
Aquatic Systems: Myrtha Pools and Martin Aquatic
About Basalt Architects
Basalt Architects is an Icelandic architecture studio operating at the intersection of architecture and landscape design. The studio was founded in 2009 by Sigríður Sigþórsdóttir and is currently led by her alongside Hrólfur Cela, Marcos Zotes, and Perla Dís Kristinsdóttir, partners in the firm.
Basalt’s work has received international recognition, particularly for its contribution to the development of bathing culture, including the design of the Blue Lagoon. The studio works on diverse projects characterized by a strong connection to place, landscape, culture, and context.
