Case Study:
Bringing wellness to the vaults
THE BRIEF
Transform three unique vault rooms into a premium stretch room, strength room, and cardio room. Deliver a full wellness experience that feels bespoke, modern, and true to the building’s heritage.
THE CHALLENGE
78 St. James’s Street is a Grade II listed building, reimagined as a premium multi-level workspace in the heart of London. As part of a full renovation, the client wanted to offer tenants something exceptional – a high-end wellness suite that matched the building’s prestige.
The challenge? The space allocated for wellness was the building’s original bank vaults – three rooms on the lower ground floor with curved ceilings, exposed brickwork, no lighting, and complex spatial constraints.
Client: 78 St. James's Street
Developed by: BentallGreenOak
Managed by: JLL
Project Type: Wellness Suite - Design, Build & Management
Sector: Commercial Real Estate / Workplace
Completion: 2023
OUR APPROACH
Design-Led, Vault-Specific Planning
We began by understanding the space’s quirks – curved brick ceilings, exposed pillars, and complete darkness. Our design needed to preserve the character of the vaults while introducing warmth, light, and functionality..
We introduced:
Protective flooring layers using a mix of tiles, roll, and vinyl to suit each space
Large bespoke mirrors, including archway mirrors in the strength room and made-to-measure mirrors in the cardio and stretch rooms, all compression-fitted to preserve the brickwork
LED backlighting behind mirrors to create atmosphere without damaging original walls
Two-way wall lighting throughout to elevate ambience
Full AV and electrical installation across all rooms, including TVs and integrated sound systems
Curated Equipment in Every Room
Each room was kitted out with tailored equipment for its purpose:
Cardio Room
- Premium treadmills and rowing machines
- Two Peloton bikes and an additional spin bike
- Full AV integration for guided training
Strength Room
- A bespoke half rack built into a wall recess with embedded lifting platform
- A custom functional rig with built-in dumbbell storage
- Dual adjustable pulley, HIIT cardio machines, additional free weights and accessories
- Ambient LED lighting and compression-fitted mirrors for a sleek, modern finish
Stretch Room
- Compression-fitted wall storage unit
- Swedish ladder
- Soft stretch flooring and subtle lighting to create a calming feel
Creating a Premium Experience from Day One
Once the space was ready, we activated it with:
- 1-to-1 inductions and wellness suite tours for all incoming tenants
- A bespoke branded booking page, with integrated scheduling for classes and personal training
- A flexible, on-demand personal training offer across the stretch, strength, and cardio rooms
- Ongoing on-site support to maintain service quality
Extending the Experience: The CoLab Studio
Alongside the wellness suite, we helped launch The CoLab Studio – a dedicated space for weekly fitness classes. We run seven weekly sessions, including:
- Pilates
- Yoga
- Boxing
- Strength
- CrossFit
Tenants can book via the same system and train just seconds from their desk.
"Thank you so much for the gym induction yesterday. You really inspired me to get going with attending the gym!"
THE RESULTS
- Outstanding feedback from tenants: Many cancelled memberships at Third Space and other gyms, opting for the in-house experience instead
- High engagement from launch: Tenants made use of inductions, booked classes, and began regular personal training sessions
- A standout feature for the building: The wellness suite is now a key selling point for incoming occupiers, offering convenience, design quality, and wellbeing in one integrated space
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A once-dark set of vaults is now one of the building’s most impactful amenities – elegant, useful, and thoughtfully delivered.
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