Bad news, Bondi. Luxe wellness studio Slow House – opened on Curlewis Street in 2021 by former fashion pros Tash and Jody Coggan – is being demolished in November.

“We had an incredible three years, but a sneaky demolition clause in our lease threw us a curveball about 12 months ago,” Tash tells Broadsheet. “Our neighbours [Beach Fit], who were facing a similar situation, approached us with a brilliant idea.”

The idea? For two of Bondi’s most popular self-care spots to join forces and open Beachouse, the suburb’s first combined gym and wellness centre.

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The new spot (a portmanteau of Beach Fit and Slow House) will see Slow House 2.0 take the ground floor, and Beach Fit’s dog-friendly gym facilities overlook the waves above – amounting to a 1000-square-metre complex that Tash describes as “pure wellness heaven”.

Inspired by Japanese onsens, Slow House 2.0 offers multiple pools, a cold plunge, and raised steppers to allow for seamless movement between them. We can also expect a traditional Finnish sauna, a steam room and – not for the faint-hearted – an ice bath sitting at five degrees Celsius.

Slow House was among the first studios in Sydney to offer infrared sauna, the reported benefits of which include detoxification, muscular pain relief and a boost to the metabolism and immune system. Here, there’ll be two- and four-person rooms to choose from.

When it opens next month, Slow House 2.0 might be the most ambitious entry in Australia’s sauna culture explosion. Capybara in Surry Hills, Cedar and Salt in Manly and Xtra Clubs at Bondi Junction are among the city’s recent sauna openings.

“Outside of the obvious benefits of health and wellness, we’re absolutely noticing saunas are becoming a popular social activity, offering a chance to connect with friends or unwind after a long day,” says Tash. “Not everything needs to be over a glass of wine.”

The gym at Beachouse will open at 180 Campbell Parade on August 11. Memberships are open now. Slow House 2.0 is slated to open October 1.

beachousebondi.com