These days, wellness is a top priority for many of us. Physical strength and resilience are widely recognised as essential to living well, while also playing a significant role in supporting mental health.

Alongside this growing focus on self-care, there has been a surge in new wellness destinations. With an abundance of gyms, spas and retreats on offer, the choice can feel overwhelming. A visit to One Playground, a leading fitness and wellness brand in Sydney, and its new Victoria Cross location, brings that search into sharp focus.

In its second project for One Playground, Mitchell & Eades has delivered an experiential interior that combines comprehensive amenities with richly layered design. The result is a carefully considered environment that feels immersive without being overworked.

Design Director Jenna Madden and Lead Designer Khoa Nguyen have created an interior that rethinks ideas of work, rest and play, as well as connection within the city. Spanning 2000-square-metres across four levels, the project extends well beyond the expectations of a conventional gym.

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Facilities include a dedicated floor for premium free weights, performance training spaces, a Reformer Pilates and Movement Studio, areas for recovery, transitional lounges and a wellness café. As the eighth location for One Playground, and the first north of the Harbour Bridge, the Victoria Cross site marks a significant moment in the brand’s expansion.

“We wanted a brand evolution for One Playground that placed transcendence at the core of the design, both visually and experientially,” says Hayley Mitchell, Principal at Mitchell & Eades. “Victoria Cross presented a rare opportunity to design a place where physicality and ethereality coexist, grounding the body while opening space for mental clarity.”

Entry is via Victoria Cross Laneway, leading to level two where a Panda marble staircase and stone flooring define the reception area. This level also accommodates change rooms, saunas, cardio zones, stretch areas and training spaces equipped with Technogym machines.

Strength training occupies level three, with six squat racks, 16 benches and 40 machines selected to support performance. Level one houses the Pulse, Surge and Force Studios for individual workouts, while level four is dedicated to group training. Here, the Reformer Studio sits alongside the Space Studio for yoga and meditation, as well as recovery areas and saunas.

While One Playground offers an extensive range of facilities, it is the interior detailing that distinguishes the project. Materials more commonly associated with high-end residential or hospitality settings elevate the experience. Polished plaster walls, bespoke gilded organic-shaped mirrors, travertine floors and marble benchtops with custom burnt-orange washstands contribute to a refined yet robust palette.

“There is a simplicity in the material curation that allows light to lead the experience,” Mitchell notes. “Materials provide tactile balance and diffuse light through both architectural elements and fine details.”

Lighting is largely recessed and diffused, guiding movement through corridors and shifting in tone depending on function and time of day. Reflective surfaces amplify this effect, balancing restraint with moments of drama.

Mitchell adds that the design seeks to balance kinetic energy with contemplative calm. Strength zones are grounded and tactile, while reformer and recovery spaces soften into lighter, quieter atmospheres. Social lounges and rest areas stitch the journey together, reinforcing One Playground’s emphasis on community as part of wellbeing.

Ultimately, the Victoria Cross location presents a considered approach to contemporary wellness design. Through its spatial planning, material restraint and attention to experience, One Playground offers an environment that supports both physical performance and moments of pause.

One Playground is indeed a playground for wellbeing and is certainly the place to expend a little energy.

Mitchell & Eades
mitchelleades.com

Photography
Ryan Linnegar