Home

Work

Lore Bathing ClubNew York, NY
Winter 2025
TeamMadelynn Ringo
Mathias Sant Anna

PhotographerSean Davidson Lore Bathing Club is a new membership-based wellness destination in Manhattan’s NoHo neighborhood. Conceived in partnership with Studioilse (Ilse Crawford) and designed by New York–based Ringo Studio, Lore reimagines the historic bathhouse for a new era of wellness culture, combining saunas, cold plunges, and social rituals under one roof.

The design centers on the idea of contrast therapy; alternating between hot and cold, tension and release. This philosophy is expressed through a material palette of contrasts: smooth travertine against textured brick, creamy floor tile against dark walnut, light against shadow. The cold plunge is framed in warm travertine tones and creamy textures, while the sauna is wrapped in deep chocolate wood, accented by black Nasco porcelain tile and Orca brick pavers.

The architecture of Lore guides visitors on a sensory journey. Spaces expand and contract, ceiling heights shift, and bold transitional staircases in saturated reds and burnt oranges mark the thresholds between heat and cool. Every transition mirrors the body’s own passage through contrast, grounding the ritual of bathing in physical, visual, and emotional rhythm.

Grounded in natural materials, the interiors reconnect guests with elemental textures, from veined travertine to earthy brick and integrated greenery. Sculptural ceiling forms in the cold plunge room evoke skylights, allowing light to guide the visitor’s sense of balance between inside and outside.