Jon Astbury

Arched openings and rough brick walls evoke the feel of a Roman bathhouse at Alchemy Saunas, a wellness centre in Australia by interior design studio Rezen. The project involved transforming a former stable and cellar at the base of the Royal George Hotel in Fremantle, which dates back to 1903 and is currently undergoing redevelopment. Rezen chose to highlight the existing red brick and local Tamala limestone surfaces of the existing space, complementing them with "utilitarian" additions in steel and tilework. Rezen has converted a former stable into Alchemy Saunas "Given its history as a space of utility, the project uses a design language which is pragmatic, raw and direct," studio director Rhys Bowring told Dezeen. "Philosophically, we wanted the new material palette to be recessive and allow the existing materiality to be the focal point," Bowring told Dezeen. "We also wanted to use materials that were not overly decorative, self-finishing and utilitarian in keeping with its original use." Existing rough brick walls line the wellness centre The layout of Alchemy Saunas was constrained by the fact that any new openings had to correspond to locations pre-approved for a previous hospitality project that was later abandoned. Entering via the hotel's basement, a steel staircase in the centre's reception leads up to the changing rooms and showers. These sit behind a stainless steel wall that starkly contrasts the original rough limestone walls. There are two pools alongside the saunas Alongside, a sauna has been tucked into the western corner of the plan, finished