Equinox to open luxury health club in converted London bank
– Joyce Wang, interior designer
Luxury health club operator Equinox has converted a historic bank building in London's Mayfair into a gym, spa and member’s lounge, with the opening scheduled for next month.
The ground floor, basement and mezzanine levels of 12 St James’s Street have been transformed by architects Woods Bagot and interior designer Joyce Wang to create “an intimate, science-fuelled environment that awes with beguiling spaces and exceptional details”.
External alterations to the building, renamed 'E St James’s', have been kept to a minimum, although new louvres have been added to the basement level façade. Internally, major structural modifications have been made to the mezzanine to accommodate the club’s cardio zone and treadmills.
Speaking about her design approach, Wang told CLADglobal: “The interiors are clad with beautiful and rare marble, which we have retained.
“We inherited this amazing architecture, but at the same time we wanted to create an interior design that is characterised by bold modern forms and materials to give the space a new life.”
Facilities in the club include strength and cardio training zones, a private Pilates studio, a regeneration room, a cafe and lounge and a steam room and spa.
A £350 (US$472, €396) monthly membership package comes with an Equinox ‘wellbeing passport’ that grants access to all of the operator’s clubs across the US and Canada.
E St James’s is the second Equinox property to open in London, following the arrival in 2012 of Equinox Kensington. A third health club is scheduled to launch in Shoreditch in 2019.
Equinox E St James's London Mayfair gym design Woods Bagot Joyce Wang