A new gym on the block has opened in Shoreditch. The second instalment of the Clapton-based ‘award-winning fitness meets art, design and fashion’ boutique BLOK, founded by Reema Stanbury, Ed Stanbury and fashion photographer Max Oppenheim, is located on the corner of Norman Foster’s Principal Place. It’s part of a larger redevelopment plan to bridge the City and Shoreditch, that will also house Amazon’s new headquarters.
BLOK Shoreditch is designed by Daytrip Studio (Iwan Halstead and Emily Potter) and lighting design studio There’s Light. The latter have made the whole space feel like one, long corridor animated by light, colour and reflections, which mingle with the smell of coffee and Malin & Goetz bespoke products, alongside photography by Oppenheim and installations by Ben Cullen Williams.
The café at BLOK, Shoreditch
The complex also features a café bathed in natural light and a small shop. Beyond, an industrial floating staircase leads you up to the studios. The designers have used a combination of materials (concrete, glass, steal, wood and fabric) to create contrasts between hard and soft surfaces, light and shadow; illustrating the divide between the hectic London urban environment and the relaxing energy of the practice rooms.
Apart from great coffee, the café offers a menu of smoothies, protein boosters and a choice of nutrient-dense, plant-based grab-and-go pots, curated by Essence Cuisine.
Signature workouts include the BLOK take on boxercise
The studios offer a wide range of classes, including a variety of yoga styles and pilates, to boxing and signature workouts (like BLOKFIT, BLOKFLEX, BLOCKORE) deisgned to ‘push you to your limits’. We tried Lila’s Power Yoga and the teacher carefully choreographed an intense, flowing sequence with clear instructions and experienced, insightful adjustments.
Friendly, lively and fun, the BLOK brothers have built a strong and unique brand, aiming to promote the social, artistic and cultural aspects of east London’s fitness scene.
The complex is designed by Daytrip Studio (Iwan Halstead and Emily Potter) and lighting design studio There’s Light
A long corridor is animated by light, reflections and colour, alongside photography by Oppenheim and installations by Ben Cullen Williams
The designers make use of a combination of materials (concrete, glass, steal, wood and fabric) to create contrasts between hard and soft surfaces, light and shadow
The studios offer a wide range of classes, with a variety of yoga styles and pilates, to boxing and signature workouts
INFORMATION
For more information, visit the BLOK website
ADDRESS
2 Hearn Street
London, EC2A 3BR
-
The Barbican as muse: composer Shiva Feshareki on bringing the brutalist icon to life through musicFor the last two years, British-Iranian experimental composer and turntablist Shiva Feshareki has been drawing on the Barbican’s hidden history as a gateway for her new piece. She talks to Wallpaper* about her Brutalist muse
-
London's coolest design-led coffee shops for your Fashion Week fixCoffee shops are the heart of London’s neighbourhoods, discover those fusing speciality beans and stylish interiors for the perfect brew
-
Martine Rose’s first gallery show celebrates the radical queer energy of Bronski BeatTaking place at Sadie Coles over London Fashion Week, ‘Everything Must Change’ centres on a 2016 short film by menswear designer Martine Rose and image-maker Sharna Osborne starring Bronski Beat frontman Jimmy Somerville
-
Burns Night 2025: where to celebrate in LondonIt is time to raise a wee dram to Scotland’s national poet Robert Burns on Burns Night (25 January). Here is our pick of places to enjoy an evening of generous speechmaking, toasting, and drinking around London
-
Grand English glamour vs the Italian dolce vita? Why Il Pellicano's Claridge’s takeover is a sun-kissed delightClaridge's welcomes Hotel Il Pellicano with open arms for a one week restaurant residency of laid back luxury and Tuscan charm
-
Lunar New Year in London: where to celebrate the Year of the Wood SnakeDo you want a year of good fortune and happiness? Then it is time to tuck into some of London’s cult favourite hotspots, devour decadent treats, and toast the Lunar New Year, and we have you covered with our guide to all things going on in the city (from 29 January until 8 February 2025)
-
Celebrate Día de los Muertos at one of London (and the world’s) finest Mexican restaurantsDía de los Muertos will arrive at KOL in Marylebone on 2 November, with a collaborative menu including dishes from the chefs behind Endo at The Rotunda to The Connaught, wrapped up with a mezcal fiesta
-
Mark’s Club’s interior refresh brings British countryside charm to the heart of MayfairLocated in a classic Mayfair townhouse, Mark’s Club unveils its new interiors, from greenhouse extensions to a new open-plan layout full of trinkets and charm
-
Frogs legs to fromage: Café François is London’s newest French canteen, serving up all the classics with a contemporary global twistThe founders of Mayfair's Maison François have opened a new addition, Café François. The Borough-based canteen offers an array of French classics from dawn to dusk
-
Dramatic and immersive, Dosa dishes up Korean cuisine with a moody flairThe Mandarin Oriental Mayfair welcomes Dosa, a new Korean restaurant by Akira Back
-
Yauatcha’s bespoke mooncakes mark the start of delicious celebrations for Mid-Autumn FestivalYauatcha, London’s Chinese dim sum teahouse, celebrates Mid-Autumn Festival (17 September) with three flavours of limited-edition mooncakes
