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Melbourne’s booming bathhouse scene is about to score another steamy addition. Following the success of its South Yarra outpost, Queensland-born Soak Bathhouse has announced it will open a second Melbourne location in South Melbourne this August – bringing its social-first approach to wellness even closer to the CBD.
The new bathhouse will be located at Emerald Place on the corner of Clarendon and York Streets, just minutes from the city. It forms part of a $160 million residential and lifestyle development by Lowe Living and designed by architecture firm Woods Bagot, where the focus is on embedding wellness rituals, not as an add-on, but as a core part of everyday living.
According to the team, the Soak Bathhouse ethos is to offer a more communal alternative to the solitary spa day experience.
“At Soak Bathhouse, we believe wellness is something that’s meant to be shared,” said co-founder Alexis Dean. “With South Melbourne, we wanted to create a space that reflects the local community – somewhere people can gather, build rituals and experience wellness as part of everyday life.”
Design-wise, the new venue will take cues from South Melbourne’s history as Emerald Hill – traditionally a ceremonial meeting place for Aboriginal groups in the area. The team tell us to expect a warm, clay-toned palette inspired by the suburb’s terracotta brick architecture, and layers of lush greenery to help create Soak’s signature “urban oasis” energy.
Spanning roughly 700 square metres, the bathhouse will include magnesium-rich hot and warm mineral pools, a cold plunge, cedarwood saunas and steam rooms, plus infrared sauna, red-light therapy rooms and massages available to book on request.
Part of Soak’s appeal is its relatively accessible price point, with bathing sessions starting from $39. For Melburnians looking to soak, sweat and not stop yapping, it’s shaping up to be the city’s next post-work wellness hangout.
You can learn more over here.
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