The trip to Solis East begins long before you enter the 7,750-square-foot sanctuary: Members ride up an elevator, looking down on St. Lawrence before crossing a sky bridge at the entrance. “I like to think of it as a wellness spaceship,” says Blessing Adedijo, studio manager, of the newest Pilates studio in Toronto’s east end. Just inside the door, a reception desk and communal lounge have wonderful ethereal qualities — the warm, monolithic marble central office is softly lit by a skylight carved into the ceiling and topped with cloud-like pendant lights from Molo Designs.
From this calm arrival to the dressing room transition, boutique brand Simone Ferkul Projects has sculpted a space where material and light choreograph the body through movement. Softly lit alcoves built into the Abet Laminati finish mill blur the lines between storage, retail and circulation. An open living room with bespoke sofas and tables (in Ferkul’s refined and sculpted style and built by Morphe Contract) supports a welcoming atmosphere for both guests and staff, with plenty of space to linger between courses.
Drawing on lessons learned from Solis’ two previous locations, Simone Ferkul has added community amenities and discreet, designated storage for industrial-grade disinfection equipment and other essentials in the back of the house — without sacrificing spa-like tranquility.
The lighting design, designed by Simone Ferkul and brought to life with the help of Anony and Vyvyd lighting, shapes the experience. The Reformer Pilates studio is light-filled, framed by large perimeter windows that bring daylight deep into the space. The Sun Room — the hot yoga and mat pilates studio — uses infrared heating panels and multi-level lighting to create an immersive, sensory environment. A wide hallway stocked with color-coordinated Pilates equipment gives space and sanctity to the ritual of preparation. During the class, sunlight softly streams through the blinds, but it feels like the celestial sphere is right there with us as we cycle through bear crawls and tricep thrusts in the sweltering heat.
Relaxation and transition to recovery are equally taken into account: Showers and changing rooms are spacious, with warm materials and flattering lighting that encourage a moment of pause. Before heading back into town, I refill my water bottle at the ritual gas station amid animated post-workout chatter. The quartz-patterned deep trough elevates much-needed hydration into a sacred ritual—like asking for a blessing from the fitness goddesses after working up all the sweat I could muster.
At Solis East, Simone Ferkul adds a Toronto wellness destination that offers a departure from the urban setting. It’s the smallest, carefully considered details that leave the deepest impression—in an industry changing with the proliferation of studios and Classpass culture, these are the enriching moments that can make or break a fitness experience.
Photo by Riley Snelling.
