Simone Ferkul Designs Wellness Sanctuary at Solis East, Toronto: Discover Tranquility in the City!

The experience at Solis East starts long before you actually enter its 7750-square-foot oasis. Visitors ascend in an elevator, overlooking St. Lawrence Street, then move across a sky bridge to reach the entrance. “It’s akin to entering a wellness-oriented spacecraft,” remarks Blessing Adedijo, the studio’s manager, describing this new pilates haven in the eastern part of Toronto. The entrance features a reception and shared lounge area bathed in a surreal ambiance — a grand, marble-patterned desk sits at the center, bathed in light streaming through a skylight, with ethereal lighting fixtures from Molo Designs hanging above.

Enhanced by Experience

Drawing on insights from its two preceding locations, Simone Ferkul has incorporated community-focused features and cleverly integrated storage solutions for heavy-duty sanitizing tools and other essential operational items, all while maintaining a tranquil, spa-like atmosphere.

The ambiance throughout is curated by Simone Ferkul, with the collaboration of Anony and Vyvyd lighting, to tailor the spatial experience. The Reformer Pilates area is bathed in natural light, thanks to large windows that allow daylight to permeate extensively. The Sun Room — dedicated to hot yoga and mat pilates — features infrared heating and a complex lighting setup that together create a deeply engaging, sensory space. A generously sized hallway, lined with color-matched Pilates apparatus, lends a sacred air to the preparatory rituals. As we engage in exercises like bear crawls and tricep pushups, soft sunlight filters through the blinds, making it feel as though the sun itself joins us, intensifying the warmth as we move.

Attention is given to the cooldown phase and transition into recovery as well: The locker rooms and showers are spacious and appointed with warm materials and flattering lights that invite a moment of reflection. Before exiting back to the bustle of the city, I stop to refill my water bottle at a specially designed filling station, surrounded by lively discussions of the day’s workout. The elegant, quartz-styled basin transforms a simple act of rehydration into a nearly sacred act, almost as if seeking a blessing from the deities of fitness after pouring out every drop of sweat possible.

At Solis East, Simone Ferkul has created more than a wellness facility; it’s a sanctuary that offers an escape from the hectic urban life. The most lasting impressions are formed by the minutest, meticulously planned details — in an industry evolving with an ever-growing number of studios and the ubiquity of Classpass culture, these thoughtful touches are what distinguish a memorable fitness journey from a mere workout.