A New (Age) Shrine to Wellness

The founders of the Well — a design-conscious new health club that will open this September off Union Square in New York — are devotees of science, but they also buried crystals in the foundation of the building’s soundproof meditation room. “We are type-A New Yorkers,” says Kane Sarhan of himself and his partners Rebecca Parekh and Sarrah Hallock. “We like facts, data and results — that’s why the Well was built as a science-backed ecosystem for wellness. But we also believe in the ‘woo woo’ and encourage the exploration of approaches to healing and wellness that are more spiritually based.” Accordingly, the space, an 18,000-square-foot shrine to holistic well-being, will offer a reflexology lounge and a meditation studio but also a full-service spa and private training gym for its members. It will also include an organic cafe from the team behind the health-conscious West Village restaurant Cafe Clover that will be open to the public. “We think somewhere in the middle is where the magic happens,” says Sarhan.

The first step for each member is a meeting with a health coach to discuss everything from diet and exercise to sleep patterns. From there, members receive a tailored plan designed to improve overall wellness, and continue to meet with their coach once a month to monitor progress. A team of practitioners led by Dr. Frank Lipman, an expert in integrative medicine, will also be available for consultations and treatment (some for an additional charge), with specialties ranging from Chinese medicine and ayurveda to sports medicine and vibrational energy healing. The space was decorated in a modern palette of light neutrals to be “an oasis of positivity and comfort,” according to the designer Liubasha Rose, who also created the serene eco-friendly interiors of the 1 Hotel in South Beach, Miami. “It was very important for us to create a space that buzzed with positive energy. At the core, we wanted everyone walking through to feel good.” 2 East 15th Street, New York, the-well.com — CAITIE KELLY