Even though Core Kensington were an established and thriving Reformer Pilates studio, when they approached us at Studio Wolter Navarro to design their new premises, they lacked a stronger brand definition and a clear direction of how they wanted their new space to look like. This was the first time they had the opportunity to design a space for their business, and they felt a little lost.

Together with them, we analysed their offering and unique clientele. We immediately realised the amazing potential there was to create something special and guided them through a process that included not only the design of their new studio, but also a more wholistic undertaking that led to a new and stronger definition of their brand, logo and aesthetic ethos.

The chosen premises, a beautiful corner unit in a new development just off the lively Kensington High Street, had initially been set up as an office and fit out with dull and uninteresting materials.

Luckily the unit receives a great amount of natural light, mostly thanks to a large feature glass corner window that faces a landscaped area.

The brief had extensive requirements for both large Reformer Pilates machines and a great deal of storage for all the props required for the sessions. On top of that, a reception area, two changing rooms and a toilet were required. With the total size being of less than 80 square meters we were faced with a major challenge to make it all fit. The budget was tight, and the timeframe was constrained.

Based on the Joseph Pilates' quote 'never fail to get all the sunshine and fresh air you can' and thanks to the opportunity the beautiful corner window presented us with, though contrary to most gyms and Pilates studios, we made the decision to have the exercise floor along the large windows and facing the outside.

The brief was extensive and the space small, so we worked hard to come up with a layout that would host most of the requirements in a very small space, leaving as much free area as possible for the exercise floor and the large machines.

The owners of the Studio are a lovely Mexican-Norwegian couple, so we wanted the design to include references to their backgrounds.

In order to reduce the amount of visual clutter and create a luxurious and very calm and relaxing feel, we designed most elements to be built bespoke, with inexpensive but highly durable materials. The design includes clever concealed storage solutions that are playful and beautiful to look at.

The material palette was reduced to a minimum, but we played with the materials to create a tactile and visually interesting but also minimalistic space.

The reduction of the amount of materials used helps us bring the attention to the special bespoke elements that we designed as eye-catching details that somehow direct and dictate how the functional space is to be used.

The materials chosen offer different tactile experiences that help bring the awareness fully back onto the body after an exercise session in the studio.

The studio feels luxurious even though it was built on a budget, and the result feels warm and far from the standard commercial and colder feel of most gyms and Pilates studios.

Studio Wolter Navarro became finalists in both the BD Architect of the Year Awards 2019 and Dezeen Awards as a result of this project.

The design has attracted many new customers for Core Kensington and has secured them a leading position in the Boutique Reformer Pilates London scene. The success of the new design has allowed them to expand as a business. Currently Studio Wolter Navarro are helping Core Kensington with the design for their new Windsor Studio.

The project was widely published in the specialist press, including well known websites such as Dezeen, Wallpaper, ArchDaily and printed magazines such as Nuevo Estilo, LostIn and the RIBA Directory.