Sorrento Bathhouse
Sorrento, Victoria
2020 - 2024
The design was guided by a simple yet powerful brief; a place of wellness and relaxation. The bathhouse draws inspiration from the privacy and atmospheric qualities of the Japanese onsen, as well as the volumetric quality of Philip Johnson’s Rothko Chapel. Collectively, these influences shaped a restrained yet immersive architecture that prioritizes experience over ornamentation.
Luxury is not expressed through elaborate materials or intricate detailing but through the sculpting of space and light.
The building’s simple form houses a carefully orchestrated sequence of rooms, culminating in the central room housing the spa. Here, a pyramidal ceiling and baffled skylight filter daylight in an ever-changing play of light and shade. By day, natural light animates the interiors, while at night, the space takes on a more introspective, cocoon-like quality.
Winner in Resi New: Up to 1M | Architeam Awards 2025
Shortlisted in Hospitality Design | Australian Interior Design Awards 2025
Family size
6
Photography by Timothy Kaye
'“Nestled quietly into the corner of this suburban coastal allotment, the Sorrento Bathhouse has successfully executed a project that explores the beauty found in simplicity, through the delicate balance between space, light and form.”
Jury, Architeam Awards
“Pragmatic, yet profound, the rigour placed in the detailing and choice in a palette of monochromatic, yet warm materials has created a space of refuge and calm, that subtly reference the ethereal work of Philip Johnson and experiential qualities of a Japanese onsen.”
Jury, Architeam Awards
“Located centrally, the spa takes pride of place, with carefully curated anti-rooms that offer utility, but also luxury through their connection to the surrounds, celebrating the rituals in bathing and the joy found in slowing down. The result is an architecture of quiet luxury - refined, intentional and timeless.”
Jury, Architeam Awards
