SINGAPORE – In the former barracks of Dempsey, one might not expect to find hot pools of epsom salt.
Stepping into contemporary bathhouse Nowhere Baths, the troubles melt away. Guests shuffle back and forth between hot pools, a cold plunge, and Finnish-style sauna and steam room – in search of joint relief, recovery and a good time with friends.
On an outdoor deck in the back, some take a breather in the still air. It is as close to forest bathing as you can get in the urban jungle of Singapore.
Co-founders Sarah Chan, 35, and Derick Foo, 38, fell into bathhouse culture in 2022. Bona fide experts in wet wellness – the couple are also behind flotation therapy joint Palm Ave Float Club – they were inspired by their research that found bathing could go beyond the functional.
That set in motion a plan to build a new kind of bathhouse in Singapore, one prioritising quiet and stillness.
Nowhere Baths Hot Pools.
PHOTO: OFFICE & SERVICES
The Dempsey unit surfaced as an option and ultimately won – “because nothing could beat the nature, vibe and privacy”, says Ms Chan. “We envisioned that it would be a great space for people to enjoy a half-day retreat away from the city bustle. There are a lot of people in Singapore who want a quiet space that’s restful; it’s quite hard to find.”
Bathhouses are on their way to being the next big wellness fad in Singapore. At least 10 venues focusing on recovery have sprung up over the last two years – from familiar names such as Trapeze Rec Group to newer but fast-growing entrants like The Ice Bath Club and Rekoop.
Offering a range of services such as saunas, hot-cold therapy, ice plunges and more, they run the spectrum from performance-focused to holistic.
In November, international developer and operator of wellness projects Therme Group announced that it had won a tender by the Singapore Tourism Board to develop the country’s first dedicated wellness attraction in Marina South. Slated to open by 2030, the $1 billion project will feature saunas, steam baths and water slides.
With stiffening competition, some are going above and beyond to open design-forward concepts.
Newest to the scene is Capybara Bathing, a Sydney-born bathhouse arriving in Singapore’s Tras Street in February. Inspired by the world’s most relaxed social animal, the capybara, the 3,000 sq ft studio, which takes up two ground-floor shophouse units, aims to bring back the social aspect of bathing – all while evoking the senses.
Sydney-born bathhouse Capybara Bathing is opening in Singapore in February.
PHOTO: DECLAN BLACKALL
Through curated zones, guests can experience magnesium mineral baths (38 to 40 deg C) and cold plunges (4 to 8 deg C), heated lounges and steam rooms and a Nordic-inspired hot lounge with shaved ice scrub. Picture terracotta tiles, calming curves and a play on textures setting the scene for intimate, ritualised bathing and reflection.
You can expect nothing less from a founding team of designers. Capybara Bathing was the brainchild of a six-person team comprising architects, an art collector and a ceramicist. All still hold day jobs.
Australians Natalie Cheung, Rebecca Qin, Daegeon Song, Justin Lo, Nicholas Souksamrane and Sebastian Tsang met in architecture school in Sydney. As they grew into their 30s and out of their partying phase, they began longing for a wellness space related to their upbringing in Sydney, which centred around the beach and water activities.
Against a rising global trend of bathhouses, sauna and contrast therapy, an idea began to take form. They opened Capybara Bathing in Sydney’s Surry Hills in April 2024.
Capybara Bathing Bathhouse first opened in Sydney’s Surry Hills in April 2024.
PHOTO: DECLAN BLACKALL
“We wanted somewhere to hang out outside a typical alcohol-related activity,” Mr Lo, 36, tells The Straits Times over video call. Their customer pool has widened in the past year, with more who work in fast-paced environments looking to bathhouses to get their mental break or reset, he adds.
“What’s changed (with bathing culture) is that we can bring these facilities to be more accessible in a dense city like Singapore or Sydney. You don’t have to go out of the way or make a hotel booking to get access and make it part of your weekly routine.”
This aesthetic-first approach is extending to wellness spaces with a medical slant too.
Opened in June, Prologue Centre for Women’s Wellness is instantly striking on the fifth floor of Ngee Ann City, its green lime-washed walls standing out from the neighbouring beauty and wellness service operators.
Smooth curved walls in green at Prologue Centre for Women’s Wellness set it apart from the typical white clinic.
PHOTO: PROLOGUE
The centre is the latest concept under the SL Aesthetic Group, which includes Singapore skin and hair brands such as SL Aesthetic Clinic and TrichoLab. Incorporating a mixed-gender general practice clinic and women’s wellness centre, Prologue offers treatments that span from body contouring to postpartum recovery.
It fills a gap at the intersection of preventive clinical healthcare and holistic wellness, says Dr Kelvin Chua, founder and medical director of SL Aesthetic Group.
“Many beauty or wellness brands focus primarily on appearance or quick fixes, while traditional healthcare often reacts to problems after they arise. Prologue helps address early risks, manage chronic conditions and support long-term health, while incorporating aspects of lifestyle medicine and well-being that are often overlooked.”
And no reason not to do all that in style. Along the smooth curved walls, shelves of books on healthcare, perimenopause, body confidence and more, as well as supplements, add to the warm atmosphere – intentionally designed to differ from the typical white, sterile clinic.
Prologue’s space includes a health coaching room, reading room and Strength Suite (pictured) for supporting women through hormonal changes and muscle loss.
PHOTO: PROLOGUE
Thoughtful space design is an integral part of the health journey that requires understanding the needs of patients alongside clinicians, says Prologue’s chief operating officer Cheryl Han.
“Healthcare architecture is a field of its own – a unique blend of planning, technical expertise and deep understanding of clinical operations to create spaces that are efficient, safe and conducive to healing.
“Consumers increasingly value spaces that feel considered, calming and aligned with their well-being,” she adds.
The price of recovery does not come cheap. Renovations for Prologue, in its prime Orchard location, involved a six-figure investment.
Both Nowhere Baths and Capybara Bathing faced pricey structural challenges in creating a wet environment from scratch. Nowhere’s founders estimate that they spent a seven-figure sum on renovations, which included excavating the floor and constructing pools in a building that had stayed vacant for nine years.
Nowhere Baths Cold Shower.
PHOTO: OFFICE & SERVICES
“We went into it thinking it was just an interior project and didn’t realise it was an engineering project, involving a lot of water and electricity. We had to rebuild a lot of infrastructure in the space,” says Mr Foo, who recalls in amusement how the process involved him venturing into the jungle to open up manholes and see where the sewers went.
The unit is currently signed for a three-year lease, of which two years went into renovations and waiting for approval from various parties and authorities.
Capybara Bathing’s Singapore space cost “significant personal savings”, around six figures, excluding the shophouse’s five-year lease, says Ms Nicole Chew, who lives in Singapore and heads Capybara’s Singapore operations as partner and director.
The team also ran into structural challenges due to the building’s conservation constraints.
But they were unwavering in their location requirements. It had to be a shophouse, on the fringe of the Central Business District and on the ground floor, because “walking up the stairs changes the experience”, says Ms Chew, 35.
Mr Lo adds: “We wanted to choose heritage buildings in an urban environment – the building outside would keep its character but when you walk inside, it’s like a surprise. You wouldn’t typically think there’s a pool inside a shophouse. It feels like our house – that we’re putting our own money into and inviting people in.”
Wellness, Ms Chew notes, is evolving from a trend to being a central part of the way people live.
“People are constantly seeking experiences that are not just rooted in performance or aesthetics, but more about being present; and restoration and balance in their lifestyle. Self-care has expanded beyond isolated activities. It’s more about community and sharing these rituals.”
“That slow living is something we try to invite into our lives consistently – especially after New Year’s, when people forget their resolutions after the first month.”
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