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Wellness By Design

Do not fear – you have not entered an alternative reality in which we have transformed into a #fitspo blog!

In his book about architecture and joy, philosopher Alain de Botton states ‘beauty is a promise of happiness’. Inspired by this sentiment, today we share our shortlist of Australia’s most beautiful, architectural and design-led yoga/pilates/wellness studios and gyms. There are some SERIOUS stunners in here!

 

Written
by
Lucy Feagins

Good Vibes Yoga in Collingwood. Architect – Richard Stampton, Photo – Rory Gardiner.

Good Vibes Yoga in Collingwood. Architect – Richard Stampton, Photo – Rory Gardiner.

Good Vibes Yoga in Collingwood. Architect – Richard Stampton, Photo – Rory Gardiner.

Writer
Lucy Feagins
14th of August 2018

Good Vibes Yoga

When one of Australia’s most talented young contemporary artists opens her own yoga studio, you can be assured the results are bound to be aesthetically pleasing. Such was the case in 2015, when Kirra Jamison first opened her highly anticipated yoga studio, Good Vibes Yoga, in Northcote. Designed by Kirra and architect Leo Dewitt, this original studio is Scandinavian in style, characterised by blonde timber and bright white spaces.

Three years on, and the artist/yogi/entrepreneur has just opened a second venue, in the most remarkable purpose-designed building in Collingwood. Designed by Melbourne architect Richard Stampton, (more to come on him soon!) and housed within a two storey Victorian building, the Collingwood studio is a bold, contemporary space featuring an atrium drenched in dramatic natural light, a granite boulder zen garden, and one seriously impressive steel staircase.

Good Vibes Yoga

116 High Street
Northcote, Victoria

62 Easey Street
Collingwood, Victoria

Humming Puppy, Melbourne. Photo – Chris Daile.

Humming Puppy, Melbourne. Photo – Chris Daile.

Humming Puppy, Melbourne. Photo – Chris Daile.

Humming Puppy

Boasting studios in Melbourne, Sydney and New York, Humming Puppy is one of Australia’s OG design-led wellness studios.

The Melbourne space opened in 2015, with a Sydney outpost following suit soon after. Both spaces are designed by architects (and yoga practitioners) Louisa Macleod and Karen Abernethy, with sound engineering by ARUP.

Why sound engineering? Because this is a yoga studio with a distinct point of difference. Every class literally ‘hums’ with a specific frequency designed to enhance focus and attention.

Sleek and contemporary, Melbourne’s yoga studio is huge, with 10-metre high ceilings, streamlined black surfaces and engineered oak floorboards. Every detail of the design, from the lighting to the soundtrack and interiors is designed to eliminate external stimuli, creating the optimum experience for yoga practice.

Humming Puppy – Melbourne
2/22 Cecil Place
Prahran, Victoria

Humming Puppy – Sydney
Levels 1 & 2, 146 Abercrombie Street
Redfern, New South Wales

La Porte Space, Sydney. Photo – Skyline Creative.

La Porte Space, Sydney. Photo – Skyline Creative.

La Porte Space, Sydney. Photo – Skyline Creative.

La Porte Wellness

La Porte Space is known for their beautiful white-on-white, Scandi-inspired co-working and serviced office spaces, event spaces and photographic studios. Favoured amongst Sydney’s fashion, styling, photography, PR and publicity gurus, it seems only inevitable that La Porte would expand their offering into wellness sooner or later!

La Porte’s Rosebery location now boasts a perfectly appointed wellness studio, La Porte Wellness, which brings pilates, yoga, beauty and skincare, and a sauna all under one roof. Yoga, meditation, boxing and pilates takes place in small group training sessions, whilst private beauty and skincare treatments are covered off by Australian skincare brand Rationale, and brow and lash technician, Kristin Fisher.

La Porte Wellness – Sydney
87-103 Epsom Road
Rosebery, New South Wales

One Hot Yoga, Melbourne. Photo – courtesy of One Hot Yoga.

One Hot Yoga, Sydney. Photo – courtesy of One Hot Yoga.

One Hot Yoga, Sydney. Photo – courtesy of One Hot Yoga.

One Hot Yoga

One Hot Yoga in Melbourne is designed by Rob Mills Architecture and Interiors, and the success of this site inspired a Sydney outpost, too. Architect Rob Mills says ‘we were aware with these studios that we were both creating a brand, and challenging what was accepted in the world of yoga and Pilates. We were determined to set a new aesthetic benchmark with both spaces.’ Mission accomplished!

These aspirational qualities have been translated into the Sydney centre, which is housed in an incredible light-flooded Art Deco building. Lucinda Mills, founder and owner of One Hot Yoga describe her vision for the Sydney studio as ‘to deliver something extraordinary that fulfills two fundamental human desires: to elevate the everyday through the experience of relaxed luxury, and to gratify that deep yearning for meaning and simplicity that we all feel as we live our busy lives.’

One Hot Yoga – Melbourne
36 River Street
South Yarra, Victoria

One Hot Yoga – Sydney
34 Kellett Street
Potts Point, New South Wales

Paramount Recreation Club, Sydney. Photo – Terence Chin.

Paramount Recreation Club, Sydney. Photo – Terence Chin.

Paramount Recreation Club, Sydney. Photo – Terence Chin.

Paramount Recreation Club

My recent stay at Paramount House Hotel had me gushing about the various likeminded businesses who have each taken up residence within Sydney’s incredible 1940’s Paramount Building. Paramount Recreation Club is the latest business to open here, with an enviable position on the building’s top floor and adjoining rooftop, with rooftop views over Surry Hills.

Paramount Recreation Club, designed by Herbert & Mason, offers small group classes and treatments, and describe their offering as ‘a place to work out, hang out, or a bit of both. In everything we do, we want to make you feel better than when you arrived.’ This delightful ethos also comes through in the cheerful and contemporary design of the club, which compels visitors to ‘escape the everyday’.

OH and there’s a rooftop Kiosk here, too, offering tasty, healthy and impossibly photogenic meals and snacks, seven days a week.

Paramount Recreation Club – Sydney
Rooftop, Paramount House
80 Commonwealth Street
Surry Hills, New South Wales

Raw Studios, Melbourne. Photo – Derek Swalwell.

Raw Studios, Melbourne. Photo – Derek Swalwell.

Raw Studios, Melbourne. Photo – Derek Swalwell.

Raw Studios, Melbourne. Photo – Derek Swalwell.

RAW Studios

Since opening early last year, Raw Studios (‘Ready And Willing’) has carved a distinct niche within Melbourne’s wellness / fitness space. Designed by Travis Walton Architecture, with interior design and branding by 21-19, this striking, semi-industrial space is boldly contemporary in style, bringing together robust materials – concrete, glass and steel – with soft, moody lighting.

Set in the basement of the Nonda Katsalidis designed Hero Apartments building in Melbourne’s CBD, RAW comprises three studio spaces – one for boxing classes and suspension-based training, one for yoga, meditation and barre workouts, and in-between the two, a versatile, open communal space.

Raw Studios – Melbourne
Basement, 118 Russell Street
Melbourne, Victoria

Warrior One, Mordialloc. Photo – Sharyn Cairns.

Warrior One, Mordialloc. Photo – Sharyn Cairns.

Warrior One, Mordialloc. Photo – Sharyn Cairns.

Warrior One, Mordialloc. Photo – Sharyn Cairns.

Warrior One, Mordialloc. Photo – Sharyn Cairns.

Warrior One

Warrior One Yoga‘s new Mordialloc centre is Melbourne’s newest yoga studio – it opened just two months ago, and is the latest project by award winning interior design firm GOLDEN.

Inspired by their clients’ deep connection to the ocean, and a desire to create an organic sensory experience for guests, GOLDEN describe the design outcome as a ‘physical manifestation of sophisticated, contemporary coastal culture, reflective of a space designed for transcendent experiences.’ We’re chuffed to see a hand-sculpted limestone front desk by local craftsman Den Holm here, too!

Warrior One Yoga – Melbourne
Mordialloc Studio (pictured)
228 Beach Road
Mordialloc, Victoria

Brighton Studio
1/461 New Street
Brighton, Victoria

Willow Urban Retreat, Melbourne. Photo – Sharyn Cairns.

Willow Urban Retreat, Melbourne. Photo – Sharyn Cairns.

Willow Urban Retreat, Melbourne. Photo – Sharyn Cairns.

Willow Urban Retreat, Melbourne. Photo – Sharyn Cairns.

Willow Urban Retreat, Melbourne. Photo – Sharyn Cairns.

Willow Urban Retreat, Melbourne. Photo – Sharyn Cairns.

Willow Urban Retreat, Melbourne. Photo – Sharyn Cairns.

Writer
Lucy Feagins
14th of August 2018

Willow Urban Retreat

Melbourne’s recently opened Willow Urban Retreat is part cafe, part wellness and meditation space, part day spa.

Occupying two adjacent Victorian buildings in one of Melbourne’s fanciest shopping strips in Armadale, the centre is designed by Meme Design – and it really does radiate serenity from every angle. An understated, pared back design approach is balanced with a few perfectly expressive details – such as those distinctive arched doorways, and chalky, textured walls (and beautiful hand-poured coloured concrete stools by one of our favourite local designers, Maddie Sharrock!). This is where luxury meets wellness, and we’re all about it.

Willow Urban Retreat – Melbourne
1203 High Street
Armadale, Victoria

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