From the editor
The everyday stresses of work, family, the environment, politics and everything else that comes with modern life have made us all re-evaluate every aspect of our lives, particularly our health and wellbeing. This has brought on a boom in wellness spaces and a re-imagining of traditional self-care environments, such as beauty studios, gyms, yoga centres and hair salons. Designing for wellness interiors involves understanding how people want to feel, physically and psychologically, and the paradox of creating a private, personal space that will serve the public.
This issue, we review four new wellness projects from across Australia, each very different in intent and function, but with the like-minded aim of providing people with some form of self-care.
For Geraldine Maher, designer of Light Years Skin Studio on the Gold Coast, at the heart of wellness design is the desire to be authentic – to ourselves, the environment and the community. Maher chose cork cladding for the project for its tactile, sustainable and antimicrobial properties. Pods provide a “micro retreat” from the outside world, where clients can plug into music or a podcast while they receive their treatment. At Grown Alchemist, Herbert & Mason has created a “clean room,” a minimalist stainless-steel laboratory that encourages visitors to forget the cacophony of the outside world and focus on their time spent in this space. Kennon’s Joey Scandizzo Salon turns a routine haircut into an entire experience designed to maximize “me time” – curated scents, precise lighting and soft, curved interiors allow the mind to drift away. The final project in this issue’s wellness quartet is Fox Fit by Mim Design, an energized space that traces the guest experience from motivation to connection to retreat, leaving gym-goers feeling invigorated and empowered.
As dedicated wellness environments like these become more and more common, we’ll be looking to designers and architects to create interiors and buildings that leave users feeling comfortable, positive and safe.
Now it’s time for you to relax and enjoy the issue.
– Cassie Hansen, Editor, Artichoke
Also inside this issue:
• Prince Public Bar by IF Architecture
• The Signal Box by Derive Architecture and Design
• Warder’s Hotel and Emily Taylor by Matthew Crawford Architects
• Smart Design Studio by Smart Design Studio
• Essay: Retail’s future
• Profile on Hattie Molloy, floral artist
• 2021 Melbourne Design Week in review
