Maybe COVID-19 could be the jolt Australia’s luxury industry needed to fire on all cylinders? Last year we reported on the Australian high end hotel industry’s dining renaissance, this year it appears the world of fitness is due for an upgrade.
Enter: 1R, a UK based boutique gym operator whose ‘god tier’ gyms have have been called, among other things, the ‘King of Gyms’ and ‘Concrete Jungles.’ A place where high intensity training meets reformer pilates, where boxing classes take place in futuristic looking studios, where you can pay per class, where there are Dyson hairdryers in the bathrooms and where Prosecco flows freely of a Friday night.
Gyms truly are the new nightclubs.
1R today launched its first boutique club in Australia, in Melbourne’s new Capitol Grand building, South Yarra. With Melburnians springing out of their third lockdown, and now being allowed back in the gyms, the timing is on point.
Founded in 2015, 1R opened its first flagship club in London by James Balfour (son of Mike Balfour, Fitness First founder) when he realised the old school gym model was in need of a (friendly) throttling.
1R Melbourne is a 800 square metre concrete jungle taking over two levels (the brand’s biggest club to date) and is redefining the fitness landscape globally with its three unique training concept methods: Reshape, Rumble and Reformer. Each class runs for 45 minutes and is a high intensity, grueling workout that is perfectly timed to the beat of the music curated and compiled by local DJs.
The club also has a bar on its first level, which serves smoothies and espresso throughout the day and prosecco and beer come dark. In terms of ~vibes~, 1R has a futuristic look and feel, from its front of house and espresso bar down to its Repair room, created and executed by Foolscap Studios, which has an international client list and presence.
1R CEO Amanda Macleantold DMARGE: “Australian’s have always led the way in the world of fitness and we are one of the most active countries in the world. But with the pandemic, we have developed a new and heightened appreciation for fitness, for health. At the same time, this past year has taught us that our time, and our experiences, are more valuable than anything.”
“We may be more expensive than your standard 24 hour gym, but what we create is a premium, truly boutique fitness experience that has never before been seen in Australia, and cannot be replicated in any other setting.”
“Working out at 1R is an experience, not a chore. One that begins from the moment that you walk through the door. Every space within our club has been designed and curated with precision to heighten and intensify a specific feeling – be it one of adrenaline and nerves (the alley), strength and power (the studios) or calm and serenity (the changing rooms).”
“By creating an experience, we take away the pain of exercise. Instead of dreading another workout, our customers look forward to their next class. 1R sessions are powerful, addictive and so much more than just a workout. And that’s worth paying for.”