Contract Magazine - January 2020 - 117

"The challenge was in ensuring we got the correct balance between the
original building and the Equinox brand."
-Peter O'Donnell, principal at the London studio of Woods Bagot

A new grand staircase with
black metal mesh guardrails
continues up and across the
mezzanine level overlooking
the ground floor. A small open
studio used for stretching and
yoga repeats the club's sleek
black and warm timber palette. Luxurious locker rooms
boast black marble vanity stations outfitted with custom
slatted stools and individual
LED-ringed mirrors (opposite,
clockwise from top).

With neighbors like Buckingham Palace, 10 Downing Street, and the National
Gallery, the St. James's historic district in London is a cross section of high society,
affluent businesspeople, power brokers, and purveyors of upscale art-just the
right demographic for the swanky E by Equinox. As the most exclusive brand of
American fitness company Equinox-which also includes the signature Equinox
clubs and spinning-studio chain SoulCycle-E by Equinox requires equally posh
and unique homes for its locations. The company found just that in the St. James's
conservation area, a former Lloyds bank, and tapped architecture firm Woods
Bagot and interior designer Joyce Wang Studio to transform it.
Since the building is historically significant, the architects kept exterior
alterations to a minimum: They preserved its majestic neoclassical facade and
soaring arched windows but added louvers at the basement level on the St. James
and King Street elevations to conceal mechanical ventilation. Sleek frameless glass
entrance doors lead to an interior where old and new blend. "The challenge was in
ensuring we got the correct balance between the original building and the Equinox
brand," says Peter O'Donnell, principal at the London studio of Woods Bagot.
"We did this through contemporary use of timbers and a more industrial edge."
Preserved stately elements-the double-height ceiling and arches, marble
cladding and columns, moldings, and intricate ceiling ornamentation-successfully
intermingle with an au courant palette. After checking in at one of two reception
desks, guests encounter a curving balustrade that frames the staircase descending
to the lower level and its locker rooms. Black slate tiles clad the basement walls
flanking the stairwell while complementary gray-black stone covers the stair treads
and risers. Oak lockers and slatted benches and stools inject some warmth into the
predominantly dark palette, and Nero Marquina marble clads the counters and
walls of vanity table-like mirrored stations for a dramatic effect.
One of the bold architectural interventions is a monumental staircase
connecting the ground and existing mezzanine levels. Perforated black metal
forms the new staircase's balustrades, which, in turn, extend farther to form
the sinuous guardrails of the mezzanine's overlook. "It was clear from the character
and quality of the double-height volumes of the original banking hall that this
[mezzanine] set the stage for an elevated members' experience," O'Donnell says.
Cardio machines and Pilates and spinning studios on this upper level offer
pleasant views of the ground floor and street activity outside the double-height
arched windows. The mezzanine also affords a closer look at the ornate
molding and ceiling medallions, which are enhanced by ethereal cove lighting
and decorative chandeliers. A recurring slatted motif throughout the club
(e.g., locker-room seating, battens framing the basement stairs, and similar

partitions in various spots) is reflected in these minimalist chandeliers
comprising LED rods encircling a void like a drum pendant shade.
The architects created visual continuity by extending the perforated
black metal panels from the floating mezzanine to the soffit of the ground floor,
which holds stretching and strength-training zones. Here, the panels serve as
decorative screening for ceiling lighting. Adjacent to these spaces is a member
lounge that looks nothing like a muscle-head meetup: Warm oak floors, cushy
sectionals, banquettes, and wingback chairs outfit the space, ensuring that
members can rest solo or in groups. Integrated power receptacles transform
some of the seating into personal workstations-a convenience for the clientele
who are hard at work whenever and wherever.
Another major amenity, the "Regen" room on the basement level,
pampers guests with cutting-edge spa therapies that include regenerative
massages, aromatherapy facials, and other services focused on muscle recovery,
tissue regeneration, and flexibility. Personal attention, training, pampering, and
valet services are par for the course for E by Equinox, after all. So, while clients
relax and rejuvenate, they're also prepping their bodies and minds for their
next workout session. -SHEILA KIM

P RO J E C T C R E DI TS

S E L E C T E D S OU RC E S

Architect Woods Bagot
Architecture project team Peter
O'Donnell, principal
Interior designer Woods Bagot and
Joyce Wang Studio
Interior design project team Peter
O'Donnell, principal, Woods Bagot;
Nicholas Byok, associate and project
leader, Woods Bagot; Milan Bogovac,
3D designer, Woods Bagot; Ida Burrell,
senior designer, Woods Bagot; Gio Vettori,
senior associate and specification writer,
Woods Bagot; Joyce Wang, principal,
Joyce Wang Studio; Christopher Sayce,
director, Joyce Wang Studio; Jessica
Lopez, lead designer, Joyce Wang Studio
Contractor ISG
Consultants Medland Metropolis
(engineering) and Webb Yates
(structural engineering)
Lighting Medland Metropolis
(engineering)
Engineering Webb Yates (structural
engineering)
Kitchen Woods Bagot in coordination
with MunchFit (operator)
Graphics Equinox
Acoustician Sandy Brown

Tiling Domus, Focus Ceramics
Stone/marble Estudio Arqué
Paint Dulux
Laminate Octolam, Egger
Drywall Knauf
Hard flooring Hakwood, Havwoods,
Domus, Arena Stone and Ceramics
Resilient flooring Mason Industries
Floor covering Regupol, Forbo, Aacer,
Dollamur
Ceilings Celtic Contracts
Recessed lighting Lighting Zone
Fluorescent/industrial lighting
Lighting Zone
Floor/table lamps Marset
Pendants/chandeliers Michael
Anastassiades Lighting
Hardware D Line
Doors Deluxe Group
Glazed partitions Radii
Workstation/task seating Muuto
Sales office seating Arper,
Herman Miller
Lounge/reception seating (spa)
Cassina
Sauna and steam room seating Drom
Cafeteria/dining seating Bianchi
Furniture, Deluxe Group

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Contract Magazine - January 2020

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