Bathhouse Flatiron, by New York studio Rockwell Group, was transformed from a Manhattan parking garage into a sophisticated destination for relaxation and socialising. The second Bathhouse outpost to open in NYC invites patrons into a communal space where they can move between hot and cold pools, just like the Greeks and Romans did two millennia ago. But unlike the bathhouses of antiquity, the interiors here are intriguingly dark and futuristic, more akin to a stylish nightclub than classical thermae.
Inside Bathhouse Flatiron, New York
The new Flatiron location for Bathhouse follows the success of the company’s inaugural outpost in Williamsburg, housed within a former soda factory that’s full of exposed brickwork, subway tile, and other industrial details. Not long after opening in 2021, co-founders Travis Talmadge and Jason Goodman hired Rockwell Group to conceptualise a second location, across the East River on West 22nd Street, which began welcoming visitors earlier in January 2024.
Although missing the same rich architectural bones, the empty concrete shell offered a blank slate that allowed for large open spaces and provided freedom to implement a newly developed visual language for the location. 'Our design concept for Bathhouse’s first Manhattan location was the idea of the hero’s journey, the common template in our stories from mythology that involves a hero who embarks on an epic journey or quest, encounters challenges with a decisive apex, and returns home transformed by the adventure and personal growth,' said Rockwell Group principal and studio leader Michael Fischer.
Upon arrival, visitors are greeted at a street-level reception and retail space, with a central stone counter that funnels incoming and outgoing foot traffic on either side. Once registered, the guests embark on their 'journey' as they descend down a series of dramatically illuminated staircases and through multiple portals, which each indicate entry to a different functional area. 'The view is always obscured as you move along the route, so you never quite see the destination,' said Fischer, whose team intentionally configured the labyrinthine locker rooms and quarter-turn stairs to add to the sense of mystery.
A moody material palette also elevates the ambiance. Travertine, fluted glass, stone, concrete, tile, and patinated metals are used together to create 'a new architectural language, allowing guests to feel as though they’ve discovered futuristic remnants from an ancient civilization,' Fischer said. For example, a series of inverted pyramid structures covered in patterned markings are suspended over some of the bathing pools, revealing lighting installations inside when viewed from underneath.
Along with the hot, cold and temperate pools, amenities include a hot-coal dry sauna, a banya, an infrared sauna, and a steam room—all kept at different temperatures. A separate area for those who’ve booked treatments like massages and scrubs has an additional salt-water pool, and there’s also a restaurant serving beverages and snacks. Bathhouse day passes are available, offering an ideal winter activity in NYC.
Bathhouse Flatiron
14 W 22nd St
New York, NY 10010
