Original Feelings: A Sculptural Yoga Studio

March 9, 2022

The design of this boutique Yoga studio is based on the idea of flow - a term used in yoga practice to describe a sense of fluid movement and meditation. Within the space, these ideas manifest through smooth transitions between spaces and the extensive use of malleable materials such as fabrics and hempcrete.

The entrance opens up onto a large reception area with a central desk doubling up as an occasional bar. A reconfigurable sofa follows the soft curve of a large screen acting as a space divider. The color palette is muted, with a focus on materiality and texture created in collaboration with two emerging artists. The front desk and water fountain were created in collaboration with Yasmin Bawa, using a custom process of a hempcrete structure finished with pigmented lime plaster to create the surface textures. The large-scale privacy screen separating the lounge area from the changing rooms was painted by the young Viennese Artist Denise Rudolf Frank. 

  • Featured Artist

    • Featured Artist

      Yasmin Bawa

      Yasmin Bawa is a British-American sculptor whose practice is rooted in natural materials, traditional hand-building techniques, and an intuitive approach to form. She studied fashion in London and worked in the industry for several years before turning fully to sculpture. After nearly a decade in Berlin developing her practice, she recently relocated to the Ardèche region of southern France, where she now lives and works among mountains and rivers. 

      At the core of her work is hemp lime, a compound of hemp shiv and lime binder used to sculpt the main structure of each piece. This is layered with successive coats of lime plaster and finished by hand using a polishing technique inspired by Moroccan tadelakt. Yasmin’s forms are curved, organic, and quietly present. They sit between sculpture and object, created as much to be lived with as to be observed. Her work explores ideas of roots, identity, and belonging, shaped by a life lived across cultures and landscapes.