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Movement just got a new mood, and it starts at Maddox: the ‘future health club’

6 Minute Read
Movement just got a new mood, and it starts at Maddox: the ‘future health club’

For every time you’ve made a regrettable late cancellation at the gym out of sheer anguish and lack of motivation, meet Maddox: the antidote to your fitness fatigue. It’s the latest venture from partners Davey Ramburuth and Annie Nguyen, in a mission to obliterate our understanding of the conventional ‘gym’ concept. Maddox is something completely otherworldly and explorative, “underpinned by sustainability and functionality”.

With notable celebrities vying for Maddox spots on their Melbourne stints, the institution has swiftly made it on the radar of locals and impending visitors alike. After being locked down for so long, the new pinnacle of wellness is flinging its futuristic doors open with great gusto.

Whether it’s a trainer-led group session, or a private ‘pod’ workout with a banquet of Italian-made training equipment, Maddox is about experiential exercise (for body and mind). And with the launch of Maddox Retreats in the Victorian High Country on the horizon, the tangible gym itself is just the beginning. More than a tangible space, Maddox’s mission is to build community through luxury, self-discovery and collaborative escapism.

The new pinnacle of wellness is flinging its futuristic doors open with great gusto.

The CBD club neighbours Harrolds’ Collins Street boutique, so you can embrace post-sweat endorphins with a continued shopping high. Before donning Tom Ford’s tailoring or slipping into some Amina Muaddi heels for size, Maddox houses state-of-the-art amenities (of extravagant standards), like private rain-showers to kickstart your day.

The best insight to Maddox comes from co-founder Davey himself, as he reflects on Maddox’s inception and its welcomed reopening in the final sprint to Melbourne’s fully-restored liberties. Here, we discuss the unrivalled fit-out, philosophy and future plans of the city’s newest answer to living the good life.

Davey Ramburuth, Image | Justin Ridler

Image | Shannon McGrath

Davey Ramburuth, Image | Justin Ridler

Image | Shannon McGrath

What’s the Maddox gameplan for reopening this November?

The launch of Maddox Retreats S/S21. We’ve reimagined the outdoor experience — think picturesque hikes, scenic rides and some extreme adventures, like whitewater rafting and abseiling with luxury accommodation and local food and wine to complete the experience. Our first destination is in the Victorian High Country. I’m really looking forward to this, it’s a great chance to put all the training we’ve done indoors, outdoors. It’s great to shift the focus on a different outcome such as conquering a 22 km hike up Mount Feathertop. The CBD city club will continue to operate by appointment only, kicking off our new summer program (priced from $2K).

Anything new and notable to expect with the anticipated re-o?

To complement our holistic training program, we’re launching Maddox day experiences. We’ve got sailing, golf, surfing and tennis planned.

What is Maddox’s ethos?

Movement is the map to self-discovery, progress and change.

How is it distinctive when compared to other modern gyms or wellness spaces?

Our Melbourne club explores the power of local design, art and culture to further uncover the art of feeling well. From finding our hidden unmarked club and stepping into a space where you feel unbound by time, to rotating art installations, private rain-showers and, ocassionally, classical music.

What’s your point of difference?

It’s our constant pursuit to create meaningful ‘feel well’ experiences. We want to bring creativity, inspiration and delight to wellness rituals and routines — connecting us to something beyond the physical.

Walk us through Maddox’s inception. When did the idea first come about and what’s the process been like from then to now?

The journey of Maddox began with years working in the fitness industry. Heading into my mid-thirties, I was looking for more meaning and purpose in the work I do. I wanted to challenge the received notions of what health and fitness is today, and to reimagine a new culture of wellness and self-care. I envisage one that unites through movement and transcends our wellbeing to a state of creativity and empowerment. Ultimately, the goal is to leave better than when we arrived, because when you feel well, you do well.

Two years in the making, Maddox is like any new venture with its trials and tribulations, achievements and celebrations. From concept design, club fit-out to taking care of our very first client, it wouldn’t be possible without the many hands of designers, creatives, artists and our spirited team.

Today, my rediscovered path forward is in a state of curiosity, generosity and connection. It’s been a wild experience to unlearn everything and start new.

Who is Maddox made for? Describe your envisaged customer and community.

We hope to leave the world a better place by transcending the wellbeing of the innovator, creator, thinker, risk taker and explorer in all of us.

Explain the fit-out and aesthetic sensibilities of the space. Who was behind it?

Working with local design studios, Hecker Guthrie and The Company You Keep, the design process started with ideologies centered around our community. We wanted to instill a sense of history with a vision for the future, the journey of process over outcome and a reflection of our high-tech world operated by our analogue hearts. From there, palettes, materials and finishes were explored underpinned by sustainability and functionality.

The club is many things to our community. It’s been called a bat cave, an urban escape amongst the city’s bustle, a blackhole where time and stresses are weightless, and a labyrinth of unexpected surprises.

It’s been a fascinating experience to discover how design is used to transcend moods, restore wellbeing and personalise experiences.

Tell us what type of classes to expect and what they entail…

Our movement sessions are the perfect in-between — of mind and body, movement and mindfulness, low and high-intensity workouts. Similar to a balanced diet, there are six types of classes to give you a holistic training program across strength, cardio, mobility and functionality. We need to shift the way we look at training, for example strength isn’t about body building but vital to our bone health which is ever more important as we age.

Our trainer-led sessions are in 30 minute intervals to give greater flexibility, you can squeeze in a 30 minute session during lunch on the busy days or a double session on the days you can dedicate more to yourself. You can tailor your training experience with the flexibility to book an entire pod for your private group or join a semi-private session with five other Maddox members.

Rethinking training spaces, our ‘pods’ are designed to give you privacy and a sense of unity. With our less is more approach, each pod is carefully curated with Italian-made training equipment from Technogym to enhance your training experience. The pods have a low-tech feel allowing you to completely debug and be present (we’ve removed all typical distractions such as tv screens and blaring music) with just enough subtle technology to give your trainer a gauge on how you’re tracking.

Our programming evolves every four weeks, tailored to the seasons and lifestyle. Currently our training program is designed with more mobility as we work in the confines of our home, increased cardio as we come out of a hearty winter, and increased endurance as we look to spend more time outdoors over summer whether its tennis, golf, swims, hikes or picnics.

Any Harrolds wishlist items for your workout/off-duty outfitting?

I love an effortless aesthetic, where function, versatility and style meet. On my wishlist are transitional pieces to take me from workout to off-duty and into the warmer weather.

White Nash Crewneck T-Shirt
Acne Studios

White Nash Crewneck T-Shirt

$190
Navy 4-Bar Bermuda Shorts
Thom Browne

Navy 4-Bar Bermuda Shorts

$1,030
Navy Technical Cotton Parka Jacket
Jil Sander

Navy Technical Cotton Parka Jacket

$2,795
White Low-Top Sneaker
New
Dries Van Noten

White Low-Top Sneaker

Inside Out Brown Terry T-shirt
Fear of God

Inside Out Brown Terry T-shirt

$565
Brown Jogging Trousers
Kenzo

Brown Jogging Trousers

$680
Black Leather Messenger Bag
Tom Ford

Black Leather Messenger Bag

$3,190
Coverall Brown Plaid Trench
Goodfight

Coverall Brown Plaid Trench

$1,250
White Nash Crewneck T-Shirt
Acne Studios

White Nash Crewneck T-Shirt

$190
Navy 4-Bar Bermuda Shorts
Thom Browne

Navy 4-Bar Bermuda Shorts

$1,030
Navy Technical Cotton Parka Jacket
Jil Sander

Navy Technical Cotton Parka Jacket

$2,795
White Low-Top Sneaker
New
Dries Van Noten

White Low-Top Sneaker

Inside Out Brown Terry T-shirt
Fear of God

Inside Out Brown Terry T-shirt

$565
Brown Jogging Trousers
Kenzo

Brown Jogging Trousers

$680
Black Leather Messenger Bag
Tom Ford

Black Leather Messenger Bag

$3,190
Coverall Brown Plaid Trench
Goodfight

Coverall Brown Plaid Trench

$1,250

What are the things that have kept you occupied, feeling good and staying sane over the last couple of months?

I honestly took pleasure in the small things — tiny little rituals to give me a sense of progress whether it’s trying a new Ottolenghi recipe, reading a page of my book (i’m currently reading ‘No Rules Rules: Netflix and the Culture of Reinvention’) or writing one exercise for next year’s program and for those other days. Well, there’s wine.

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