At Heimat, a New Private Gym in Hollywood, Fitness Meets High-Design Interiors

Sebastian Schoepe believes that indulgence should be a part of any good wellness routine. So when the president of fitness conglomerate RSG Group North America decided to embark on an ambitious new project—a 75,000-square-foot private fitness and lifestyle club in Hollywood called Heimat—he made sure it was a space that didn’t consider indulgence as an afterthought. At Heimat, a rooftop pool with views of the Hollywood Hills sits a few floors above a room with rows upon rows of treadmills. A bootcamp studio sits below a restaurant helmed by Michelin-starred chef Michel Mina. There’s pilates, yoga, kinesis, spin, and boxing classes, as well as a spa that offers everything from Swedish massages to hydrafacials and pedicures. Meanwhile, there’s a fully stocked bar and an IV drip if you want to counteract your drinking from the night before. Whereas most gyms operate on the idea of discipline and sacrifice, Heimat encourages its members to live a little.

Heimat’s aesthetic matches its philosophy. Berlin agency Inco Media was tapped to add visual interest to their fitness spaces, including bamboo herringbone floors, murals, lighting centerpieces, and—in the case of the cardio room—waterfall edges and a live cactus gallery. Schoepe wanted every room to include “something that draws in your eye and gives you a very intentional feeling—whether it’s an art piece, a design finish, or a lighting installation.” (The entrance features Frank Gehry Wiggle chairs.) An added bonus? Heimat limits its membership so its spaces and classes won’t suffer from overcrowding and overbooking.

Famed interior designer Martin Brudnizki lent his signature jewel-toned eye to the social areas: Mother Tongue, the restaurant, is adorned in a California sunset color palette with sherbet oranges, coral pinks, and turquoise blues, and a library space experiments with floral upholstery. Brudnizki calls his style “eclectic minimalism.”

Mother Tongue’s menu focuses on dishes with anti-inflammatory or cognitive benefits that fit a myriad of dietary restrictions. Keto abiders may opt for the salmon with white miso sauce, and plant-based eaters can order the shiitake mushroom lamb. That said, they also fully embrace those in the mood for a cheat meal: “We’ve made sure our burger is going to be one of the best,” Schoepe says.

Heimat is just the latest example of a larger trend in the fitness world. Even though working out has often been positioned as a grueling experience geared toward physical results, lately there’s been a growing focus on a more holistic and sustainable approach that can prove just as beneficial for our mental health. Life, after all, is always better when it includes some kind of burger.