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Luxury gym Third Space opens in Mayfair

Project name
Third Space Mayfair
Project sector
Leisure
Completion date
05/05/22
Client
Virgile and Partners
Ranges
Colouration, Flintstone, Vigilant, Marbalite, Stonework, Census

Physical exercise in ancient Athens was seen as a moral responsibility. To be healthy in mind, a good citizen was expected to be healthy in body. The gymnasium was a place of civic privilege and duty. At Third Space Mayfair, the body conscious of today can sculpt themselves in a modern expression of the ancient palaestrae. 

Ewald Damen, Creative Director at Virgile and Partners described the project, “The design team wanted to bring together the energetic health club environment for which Third Space is known and elevate it with features that communicate a sense of premium hospitality. The design and material palette merges bold and industrial features, like a metal staircase, with memorable design pieces, such as a bespoke cast reception desk. Comfortable seating areas and dressing rooms are realised in high-end stone, metal-finished, and walnut materials. The attention to detail and emphasis on service accommodates Third Space values and the character of the Mayfair community.”  

The project was completed under considerable time pressure. The relationship between Solus Sales Manager Mark Ayliffe, architects Virgile and Partners and the main contractor Woodford Interiors was critical in achieving the design goals and getting the project over the line.  

Mark Ayliffe talked me through some of the challenges he met on this project. “I received a phone call from Aliki Kylika from Virgile and Partners just before the summer lockdown of 2021 to say they needed to specify tiles very quickly and could they come and see me with the client. I realised I had to work very quickly and so took the meeting at our Clerkenwell Showroom. 

“The impending lockdown would influence supply, so I had to have a direct channel with the factories and agents to ensure there was sufficient stock available.  

“The designers had a very clear idea, supported by excellent visual resources, of what they wanted. I was able to suggest tiles that fitted their design brief. They were looking for opulence, sophistication, and luxury to reflect the high-end aesthetic of Third Space. The lighting is subdued and atmospheric, and the surfaces had to work well with the lighting plan. It was then a matter of leveraging the relationships I have with the factories and logistics services to ensure the tiles arrived on site on time. 

“We provided a tile from our Marbalite range for the reception, which is obviously an important space as it sets the tone of the whole experience. We also provided tiles for the changing rooms including a beautiful porcelain for the showers called Wavelength.  

“We’ve worked with Virgile and Partners before on some of their projects within the Harrods building. These are generally quite demanding projects involving a lot of bespoke cutting and using tiles from different factories. The quality of their creative team is first class and to support them I manage the correct sizes of the tiles, the thickness of the tiles, and generally advise them on which materials will best achieve their goal.”  

And achieve it they did. The club is a triumph of subdued opulence. A relaxing, low-light environment where a celebrity or éminence grise might pass unnoticed on the way to a spin class. The great and the good may no longer throw javelins and run in armour to stay fit, but the pursuit of the body beautiful is still an obsession 

CREDIT

Architecture and Design

Virgile and Partners

Contractor

Woodford Interiors

Photography

Jamie McGregor Smith