Shelter by Esoteriko: 2019 Best of Year Winner for Small Health/Wellness

Feels like a spa, works like a gym. That catchphrase is embodied in Shelter, a multifunctional center occupying a two-story building in one of Sydney’s harborside suburbs. In addition to a generous changing area, the 2,150-square-foot shedlike structure designed by Esoteriko had to accommodate four distinct programs: exercise facilities, ice baths, saunas, and a juice bar. The firm’s approach was a simple organization of spaces—defined by screens rather than walls for openness but some privacy—with a restrained and carefully considered materials palette.

A typical visit starts in the locker room, demarcated by sleek metallic screens. After a boxing or cycling class upstairs, members might indulge in an ice bath or a trip to the sauna, each unit sheathed in sun-bleached cedar paneling. They can then head to the light-dappled juice bar on the enclosed front veranda. Shaded by a timber-slat roof and surrounded by greenery, a hint of eucalyptus in the air, it perfectly captures the essence of the Australian lifestyle and landscape.