Dezeen · Creativity & design

Rezen designs raw wellness center in Australian hotel stables

Interior design studio Rezen has transformed a former stable and cellar at the base of the Royal George Hotel in Fremantle, Australia, into a wellness center named Alchemy Saunas.

The design highlights the existing red brick and Tamala limestone, complemented by utilitarian additions in steel and tilework. Studio director Rhys Bowring stated the design language is pragmatic, raw, and direct, allowing the original materiality to be the focal point.

The layout was constrained by pre-approved locations for new openings from a previous abandoned hospitality project. A steel staircase leads from the reception to changing rooms and showers, separated by a stainless steel wall from the original limestone.

A sauna is located in the western corner, with glazing and tiles externally and pale timber internally. Another steel stair descends to two central pools—an ice pool and a warm magnesium pool—within the former stable's double-height volume, illuminated by arched windows.

Concrete seating surrounds the pools and supports the adjacent brick wall. A waiting area to the south is flanked by additional saunas and bathrooms.

New openings were made as pared-back as possible, cutting through existing materials with exposed steel lintels. The spatial organization utilized the existing building's constraints and opportunities.

Saunas and washrooms are placed in areas with less height or outlook, while communal bathing areas are in more generous, naturally lit spaces, creating varied atmospheres.

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