Slowing Down At The New Sense Of Self In Sydney
Four years in the making, Sense Of Self Surry Hills was worth the wait. Designed for the senses, the grounding space is a portal to rest and connection, with pools and saunas to restore body and mind.
Words HANDE RENSHAW Photos MARTINA GEMMOLA
The Sense Of Self pools have been designed for lingering, listening and reconnecting with others and self.
‘SOS Sydney has been four years in the making. Four years of holding a vision steady and building something that will endure,’ shares Freya Berwick, Sense Of Self founder & director Freya Berwick.
Hot mineral pools are woven throughout the bathhouse, with a large central pool shaped around the building’s original columns.
More than 90,000 hand‑laid bricks form the foundation of Sense Of Self.
“We wanted our Sydney bathhouse to be an extension of what we started in Melbourne, a living, breathing embodiment of the phrase we always like to say, to ‘come as you are and take what you need’.”
Sense of Space Surry Hills was brought to life by awarded architecture practice RITZ&GHOUGASSIAN.
The Hammam is Sense Of Self’s version of a steam room tiled by hand using honey jasper graphite to hold heat.
The design draws on a moody palette of chrome, brick and rock.
Robes and Hammam Kits are available at check-in, while digital devices are tucked away in lockers for two hours of uninterrupted slowing down time.
The ground floor is home to the changing rooms and treatment spaces.
The Scrub Station is part of the Hammam ritual, where guests can choose a selection of clay masks and body exfoliants to take in the steam room.
Leave tension (and your devices!) at the door at the new Sense Of Self Space in Sydney’s Surry Hills. Four years in the making, the opening follows the success of its incredibly in-demand Collingwood space.
‘SOS Sydney has been four years in the making. Four years of holding a vision steady and building something that will endure,’ shares Freya Berwick Sense Of Self founder and director.
Designed by RITZ&GHOUGASSIAN, this is a bathhouse like no other. Housed within the former Sydney Antiques Centre, the 1,200-square-metre space draws on a moody palette of chrome, brick, shadow and rock. More than 90,000 hand-laid bricks sit alongside the building’s original windows, exposed brickwork and concrete columns, creating a rich interplay between old and new.
Entering from South Dowling Street, visitors are invited to leave their phones behind, change into a robe and spend two hours moving between hot mineral pools, saunas, steam rooms and cold plunges, with plenty of places to sit and do absolutely nothing.
The main bathing area centres around a large mineral pool, where the original concrete columns rise from the water. A second pool sits near the saunas, while two darker pools provide more secluded places to soak. The bathhouse unfolds through a series of interconnected spaces, inviting guests to wander and find their own rhythm.
For those who like to turn up the heat, two Finnish saunas include a larger space for scheduled Aufguss sessions, while a walk-through cold plunge provides a rather refreshing change of pace.
The Hammam, lined in hand-laid honey jasper graphite tiles, brings another layer to the bathing ritual. Here, visitors can get a little messy with refillable Hammam Kits, choosing from body exfoliants and clay masks at the Scrub Station before heading into the steam.
A first for Sense Of Self is the Room of Deep Listening, a dark, immersive space dedicated to sound, with artist-curated audio journeys changing throughout the year. Upstairs, a lounge connects to private treatment rooms.
Between dips, there are reading corners, places to lounge, in-pool games and a kiosk serving tea and refreshments. With no prescribed order to follow, the pleasure lies in taking your time, whether that means trying everything or spending most of your visit in one favourite pool.
‘Opening here feels like a long time coming, and we hope to become a space people return to again and again,’ adds Freya.
Bookings are essential, two-hour bathing sessions start from $75 off-peak.
Sense Of Self
529 South Dowling Street, Surry Hills NSW
Opening Hours: Monday Closed , Tuesday - Sunday 7:00am - 9:45pm
