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Wellness | Body

Welcome to Sphere, a stylish boutique fitness haven filled with art

Flexing in every sense of the word

By  Rebecca Rachel Wong - 

Sphere
Sphere
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When stepping into Sphere for the first time, you’ll be forgiven for thinking you’re in an art gallery. Situated in the heart of the Central Business District at 137 Cecil Street, the two-storey gym and fitness recovery space looks something like an alternate Guggenheim, with the Brutalist-meets-minimalist interiors bathed in the calming glow of James Turrell-esque lighting. (Check out the 3D walkthrough on its website for the full experience.)

Bowen You (left) and Allan Ng (right) are the co-founders of Sphere. Credit: Sphere

Bowen You (left) and Allan Ng (right) are the co-founders of Sphere. Credit: Sphere

As co-founder Bowen You shares, the intention was to “create a curated environment inspired by art and architecture.” A partnership between You and co-owner Allan Ng, Sphere saw its soft launch in August 2022 and officially opened its doors in Nov.

You was working in product marketing and partnerships in New York City for brands such as Cartier and Disney prior to moving to Singapore. Meanwhile, Ng is a former muay Thai pro who represented Singapore in international competitions in 2015 and 2016; he leads the conceptualisation and development of the company’s products in performance and recovery.

Sphere combines the experience of being in a boutique gym and fitness recovery centre with that of stepping into a sleek art gallery. Credit: Sphere

Sphere combines the experience of being in a boutique gym and fitness recovery centre with that of stepping into a sleek art gallery. Credit: Sphere

All the art in the space is curated by You, along with design partner Ken Yuktasevi from the multi-disciplinary creative firm Parable Studio. Support was also provided by Hatch Art Project, a contemporary art gallery focusing on Asian art.

Their creative vision culminates in a space that not only provides facilities such as a gymnasium, sensory deprivation float tanks and infrared sauna, it is also tastefully dotted with contemporary art pieces such as the skateboard triptych by Jean-Michel Basquiat and works by exciting Indonesian artists such as Didin Jirot and Iabadiou Piko.

Spot the Basquiat in the changing room.

Spot the Basquiat in the changing room.

“As the perspectives on what constitutes personal optimisation, performance and recovery shift, there has been increasing importance on the gym to not just be a fitness facility, but a sanctuary where like-minded individuals can connect, where communities can be developed and where optimisation and new experiences can be discovered,” says You.

Credit: Sphere

Credit: Sphere

The gymnasium of Sphere – with its white walls, flooring and equipment – evoke the design sensibilities of designers such as Rick Owens and Martin Margiela.

Ahead, You talks us through the design of the space, as well as his perspective on the relationship between art and fitness.

Why art and fitness go together

Credit: Sphere
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“On a scientific level, exposure to art has been shown to improve memory, develop mental resilience and raise serotonin levels – all of which helps prime the brain for learning. For guests at Sphere, learning comes specifically in the form of motor skills, intention in movement, body awareness and mindset. On a philosophical level, we believe the expression of one’s state of mind through art is a parallel to physical expression in training, and we believe that the interaction with art in a training space can inspire optimal performance in sessions.”


The design philosophy at Sphere

Credit: Sphere
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“The design of the space is centred around ‘contrast’, ‘finished’ and ‘unfinished’, ‘smooth’ and ‘textured’, ‘soft’ and ‘brutal’. (Clock the steel installation by Indonesian artist Didin Jirot on the wall here that has been painted with paint.) The all-white space is inspired by galleries in Chelsea, New York, reframing the experience of training as movement and an artistic expression. Sphere embraces the philosophy that human movement is an artistic expression. The space is guarded by a heavy metal door, denoting Sphere as a sanctuary where like-minded individuals can converge and connect.”


Design visionaries served as inspiration

Credit: Sphere
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“Sphere’s design is inspired by various luminaries of the design world. We’re influenced by the Brutalist vision of fashion and furniture designer Rick Owens, the elegant lines and ingenuity of Italian architect Carlo Scarpa’s design signatures, the scale and monumentality of Richard Serra’s sculptures and the minimalism and subtlety of Belgian designer Martin Margiela.”


The daniel Arsham inspo

Credit: Sphere
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“We chose multi-disciplinary artist Daniel Arsham’s work (an NFT of the New York-based contemporary artist) to be displayed at our check-in counter, as his work represents many of our philosophies – such as the multi-hyphenated nature of his work in various mediums, the convergence of different subjects and inspirations, the pushing of boundaries and the re-interpretation and re-imagination of what modern spaces can be and should be. (The wood sculpture finished with stucco paint is a co-creation between Sphere and Parable and took inspiration from Arsham’s oeuvre.)


The most valuable piece of art in Sphere

Credit: Sphere
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“(Indonesian arist) Iabadiou Piko’s Eruption Mind Portrait, ‘Sitting on the landscape’, Series #1, 2022 (pictured). It is on display in Sphere with the kind support from Hatch Art Project. Heavily influenced by abstraction, Piko’s works are charged with images that represent fractions and formations of the world, with spontaneous and overlapping colours, lines, and forms.”

This article was originally published in Female.



 


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