The Unbelievably Beautiful New Melbourne Bathhouse
Mindfulness and massage studio Sense Of Self has opened a Roman-style bathhouse with a ‘Mediterranean brutalist’ design aesthetic.
Words: Hande Renshaw | Photography: Jess Tremp
Photo: Jess Tremp
Photo: Jess Tremp
In early 2020 Mary Minas and Freya Berwick opened massage and mindfulness studio Sense Of Self, located on the top floor of a light-filled converted Collingwood warehouse.
This week, on 16 March, the duo will be opening the second phase of the project.
Situated on the ground floor of the same building, the new space is a modern-day Roman bathhouse featuring communal bathing in a large mosaic-tiled mineral bath, a Finnish sauna and a cold plunge pool, and soon, a Turkish hammam experience.
Designed by an all-female collaborative design team from SetSquare Studio, Chamberlain Architects and Hearth Studio, Sense Of Self is a space that you’ll have trouble leaving.
‘Being women, we did bring to the project a vast experience of traditional day spas and onsens, benchmarking what we wanted to measure against. We searched for an authenticity, pushing against the sterile or crisp white rooms and the demarcation of space due to gender,’ says Caitlin Perry, principal at SetSquare.
‘The project presented the design team with an unprecedented opportunity to explore the relationship of the body to space, and to invite guests to connect with themselves and their immediate physical world,’ she adds.
The design journey to create a Roman-style bathhouse and spa saw Mary take five months off from her role as filmmaker to experience the bathhouses of Europe, North Africa and Japan. Over years of working and living in Norway, Freya, a botanist turned hotelier, had experienced the sauna culture of Scandinavia.
Curved forms finished in microcement create softness in the space. Photo: Jess Tremp
‘As water was the main motivator for how we designed this space my favourite design features are the areas that centre around this, both physically and conceptually,’ says Caitlin Perry, principal at SetSquare Studio. Photo: Jess Tremp
‘How one’s body interacts with the concrete, tiles, fabric etc highly affects your comfort level within the space – how bare skin feels against the material is just as important as how it looks,’ says Caitlin Perry, principal at SetSquare Studio. Photo: Jess Tremp
“Bathing is an ancient tradition rooted in communion and inclusivity. It’s a ritual that gets to the essence of well-being—think community, acceptance and restoration.”
‘We’ve drawn on elements from bathhouses we’ve visited throughout Turkey, Scandinavia, Morocco, Japan and Greece to inform the total offering,’ say Sense Of Self directors Mary Minas and Freya Berwick. Photo: Jess Tremp
The interior materials (terracotta, travertine, microcement and sandstone) evoke a style best summarised as ‘Mediterranean brutalism’: with monolithic forms, double height volumes and cast concrete made by Freya’s partner, carpenter and industrial designer Fraser Munro.
The colour palette was a matter of breaking down the concept of ‘bathhouse’ to its very essence: being immersed in water, while the curation of the material palette was a crucial part of the design. ‘Temperature, texture, opacity, softness and colour were all considered when selecting our palette to make sure they worked from a regulation perspective but also a bodily perspective,’ says Caitlin.
Nothing in the space is considered precious and encouraged to be experienced, ‘The metals, such as the feature tapware by Sussex Taps, oxidise and change colour with water interaction and human touch, and the concrete elements are designed to chip and wear with age,’ shares Caitlin.
With the addition of the new bathhouse, Sense Of Self is a destination that fully caters to your wellness needs. Work your way through the roomy, glass-mosaic-tiled bath heated to a balmy 39°C, on to the 80°C Finnish sauna and finish in the plunge pool, which will be available for use in the coming weeks.
Sense Of Self directors Mary Minas and Freya Berwick. Photo: Jess Tremp
A selection of beautifully curated bathing essentials are available for purchase. Photo: Jess Tremp
The interior materials include terracotta, travertine, microcement and sandstone, all evoking a style best summarised as ‘Mediterranean brutalism’. Photo: Jess Tremp
Earthy terracotta tiles and brass Sussex Taps hardware in the communal shower space. Photo: Jess Tremp
“Our vision is to strip the spa experience back to its roots, giving people a place to cultivate a better relationship with their bodies and themselves.”
Materials in the space include terracotta, travertine, microcement and sandstone, all evoking a style best summarised as ‘Mediterranean brutalism’. Photo: Jess Tremp
“When you bathe, you’re completely unplugged from the outside world, your phone, your work; it’s a time for you to simply be. We all need more of this, especially at the moment.”
‘For us, a less polished finish contributes to a sense of comfort, escapism and places one’s experience as a moment in time within the space,’ says Caitlin Perry, principal at SetSquare Studio. Photo: Jess Tremp
VISIT
SENSE OF SELF
30–32 Easey Street, Collingwood
Hours:
Bathhouse
Tue to Fri 7am–9pm
Sat & Sun 9am–7pm
Massage studio
Tue to Fri 11am–8pm
Sat & Sun 10am–6pm