Design for Transformation – Maddox by Hecker Guthrie

At once grounded and futuristic, the interiors of Melbourne fitness club Maddox by Hecker Guthrie feature rough concrete and gleaming stainless steel combined with select artworks to create a space that is all about transformation.

The interior design team at Hecker Guthrie approached the design of Maddox by juxtaposing two visual languages – the futuristic and the natural. A science fiction aesthetic is expressed in stainless steel, glass and mirror to create a sense of innovation, technology and the future. Meanwhile, rough concrete and dark reclaimed timber ground the interiors, creating a connection to nature and the earth.

A discrete entry opens to a blue-lit reception space with carefully-selected monotone seating elements in contrasting black timber (Riva 1920), metal (Frama) and furry sheepskin upholstered furniture (Wilson & Dorset). A glass brick wall here allows light to filter through while providing a level of privacy.

A science fiction aesthetic is expressed in stainless steel, glass and mirror to create a sense of innovation, technology and the future.

A corridor then leads through to the locker and change rooms, punctuated by the placement of artworks. This corridor is conceived as a gallery space, where first to show their work is sculptor Pimpisa Tinpalit through a collaboration with Grau Projekt art gallery. In this space and elsewhere, it is the application of small details that affect the biggest change – a round window here, an arched doorway there, a screen or a mirror creating repeating images. Apart from the blue light, the space is almost completely devoid of colour, creating a sense of focus and purpose for users.

The main fitness space features stainless steel surfaces and recessed lighting. A bust of Socrates watches over the room, bringing a sense of history and an intellectual flavour to what is otherwise a focus on the body. Again, the details here are what make the design work, creating a far more refined space than the usual functional gym interiors we have come to expect. Even the signage by The Company You Keep with its futuristic lettering in black and silver is considered.

Apart from the blue light, the space is almost completely devoid of colour, creating a sense of focus and purpose for users.

For the interior designers, the experience of using Maddox, and especially the ritual of the workout, were key to creating the interior’s composition. The approach of the founders, Annie Nguyen and Davey Ramburuth, was also key in the creation of the design, following a values-driven, holistic wellness concept. A pared back interior that creates a mood of focus and purpose for users, this space is both transporting and transformative.