There is a lot about the health and wellness industry that can leave you feeling a bit sick. From soulless gyms to unproven detox drinks, the irony isn’t particularly funny when you consider how it robs so many people of their money, time and energy. Inspired by our own lapsed gym memberships and failed self-improvement kicks, we wanted to create a space that encouraged personal connection and set realistic expectations. For five years, through an approach that combined physical, mental and social health, Paramount Recreation Club served as a place that made sense in our modern lives. It aimed simply to make you feel “a little better” than when you arrived.

Located on the rooftop of Paramount House (a building that is also home to Golden Age Cinema & Bar, another project of ours), Paramount Recreation Club offered fitness and mental health classes, complementary health treatments and a kiosk. When classes weren't running, the club also hosted public events such as talks, workshops, screenings, dinners and markets to promote healthy living and exercise the mind with discussion around what it really means to be healthy as an individual, as a neighbourhood and as a city.