White Rabbit Projects extends its reach in east London with Crossrail Place wellness complex
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Arc is very much a work in progress when I visit.
But the dark chocolate paint that’s being layered on its walls, the sweet earthy smell from the planks of alder that line its vast sauna and the toasty sienna of the tiles in its lounge already speak of the richness of the experiences to come.
Neighbouring Everyman and Barry’s in Crossrail Place, the facility is something new, not only for Canary Wharf, but for the whole of the UK.
Contrast therapy – taking one’s body from one extreme in temperature to another – is having a bit of a moment.
Businesses have sprung up in Royal Docks, Stratford and Hackney, with participants indulging in wood-fired heat before dunking themselves in baths, barrels or miniature swimming pools of chilled water.
Rinse and repeat, then sink into the rush of happy brain chemicals.
Arc, which is set to open on January 31, 2025, is different.
Firstly there’s scale. Its sauna is thought to be the largest in the country with a capacity of 60.
Secondly there’s tech. Its stainless steel ice baths feature UV purified water, chilled and filtered by a wall of powerful machines.
Thirdly there’s community. It’s apt, perhaps, that as I’m walking in to meet co-founders Chris Miller and Alanna Kit, I hear a radio report on the discovery of a Roman bathing complex in Pompeii.
A couple of thousand years ago, people would meet, connect, socialise and talk business in the tepidarium after a wash – not dissimilar to Arc’s lounge or, indeed, the founders’ ambition for the facility.
“Canary Wharf has some of the most high-performing individuals in the world and the most successful companies, all in one place,” said Chris.
“They are going through levels of stress that most people don’t have to deal with every day – so we hope a lot of people will use this for respite
“It’s accelerated therapy. You get 50 minutes when you’re in the heat and the ice and you can’t be thinking about day-to-day distractions or the disasters that are going on in the world.
“You have to be focussed, present.”
opening Arc at Crossrail Place
Chris knows Canary Wharf.
Having worked in finance and private equity, he swapped the City for hospitality, spending three years as commercial director of Soho House before setting up White Rabbit Projects.
This “incubator” helps create and scale hospitality businesses with Wharf stalwart Island Poke and more recent arrivals Kricket and Soma in its portfolio.
The company is also working with Italian food store, deli and bar Lina, which is set to take the unit at Crossrail Place recently vacated by The Breakfast Club.
Arc is itself a collaboration inspired by a trip overseas.
“I was in New York, and a friend of mine asked me to try something called Remedy Place – a new, high-end wellness centre,” said Chris.
“That’s where I tried a six-minute ice bath, having historically been someone who couldn’t even do cold showers. I hated the idea and it was intense, but it felt pretty amazing.
“Then we went to a place called Bathhouse, a new, modern bathing house with a spa setup.
“There I saw groups of friends using it as a place to hang out and relax.
“There were different cold pools, different types of saunas and I started to see that this was a growing trend.
“In Toronto, I had a communal experience where saunas and ice baths were combined with meditation sessions.
“It was clear a number of places were emerging that offered contrast therapy.
“The practice, of course,is nothing new if you look at Mexico or Ancient Rome.
“But in the UK, it doesn’t really exist in the way it’s started to proliferate elsewhere.
“I fell in love with it. I was talking to some friends and they suggested I meet Alanna – I told her I was fascinated by this world, got to hear her story and we connected on a lot of ideas and what we wanted to bring to the world with Arc.
“Now here we are a few days away from launching the largest sauna in the UK.”
sauna and science
Alanna is integral to Arc’s offering.
On the one hand, she’s spent eight years teaching meditation and Yoga, including contrast therapy classes at a facility in her native Canada with a 50-capacity sauna and ice bath.
But she’s also a neuroscientist with a profound curiosity about the effect of such activities on the brain and body.
Incidentally, she’s also researching psychedelic therapy with magic mushrooms in relation to mental health for her PhD.
“It’s been a bit of a personal journey in an effort to understand the world, the universe and people,” said Alanna.
“I’ve studied consciousness, spirituality, psychology and cognitive neuroscience – the past world and the present and found a lot of crossovers.
“What I like to do is bridge these two different languages with offerings, retreats, one-on-one therapy and through education.
“Humans desire connection and community.
“Before teaching at wellness retreats, I’d never experienced belonging like that with strangers or the ability to do that in a safe, open environment.
“It was so beautiful to build that community, to see people come back and change and transform themselves.
“Here, merging the sauna, ice bath and other practices into a specific programme hits not only people’s hearts, but also their desires, wants and needs.”
classes and guidance
In a nutshell, that’s what Arc does.
“There will be 50-minute classes as well as longer free-flow options for people to go at their own pace when using the facilities.
“The programme includes sessions designed to energise participants in the morning with others aimed at calming the nerves later in the day.
While these might seem like personal goals, part of the point of Arc is that it should be a communal experience – harking back to the days, perhaps, when Romans came together in the pleasure of shared experience.
“What happened to me with contrast therapy was that, despite turning up in a very stand-offish, British way, I’d come out having met lots of lovely, friendly people that I still chat to,” said Chris.
“You’re going through this intense experience together and that’s quite incredible.”
camaraderie and ice
Alanna added: “It’s one thing to experience the hot and cold on your own, which is beautiful, but seeking discomfort in a safe space with a group creates real camaraderie and connection.
“When you plunge into an ice bath, your dopamine levels can increase by as much as 250% and that may last up to 24 hours.
“If you have an alcoholic drink, that might last 15 minutes.”
So how does the process work – what am I signing up for when I go to a session at Arc?
“Everyone is in bathing costumes and the process begins in the lounge,” said Alanna. “In this busy world, we’re very much in our minds – what we’re trying to do is bring people into their bodies and increasing their awareness of that.
“Then we move into the sauna which includes various elements like aromatherapy, lighting and steam.
“By experiencing extreme heat and cold we’re actually maximising the physiological benefits.
“When you’re hot, your body goes through stress and, with a guide supporting you through that discomfort, you are able to let go of the mind, surrender and move into the body.
“Your heart rate and blood pressure increase and your body enters fight or flight mode – something we’ve been conditioned to do through evolution.
“When that happens, we want to get out, but there’s that little bit just after which you can hold for a minute or two – the part where you can push yourself through that discomfort. This is where you get many of the physiological benefits.
“From there, we guide people through an ice bath.
“Again, your heart rate is high for the first 30 seconds and you want to get out, but if you’re able to surrender the mind to the body and control your breathing that controls the physiological responses.
“You slow it down, your heart-rate lowers, your mind slows down and that’s when the euphoria begins.
“Your dopamine, serotonin and endorphins increase – all these positive neurotransmitters – and you’re training your body to have that response.”
Afterwards, there’s an opportunity to relax in the lounge and rehydrate with water and tea.
Arc says the benefits its contrast therapy delivers are “amplified in community” and as such hopes its facility will be a place for people to meet, socialise and even do business.
“One of the most exciting ways to experience it could be with friends,” said Chris.
“You won’t have a hangover the next day, either. It could even be a place to have meetings with co-workers or potential clients.
“There’s something quite interesting in sauna culture where nobody is wearing an expensive suit or a flashy watch.
“The average price will be about £28 a session so it will also be super accessible – the price of two drinks in a bar.”
Arc is also planning to host two-hour evening sessions for those who really want to immerse themselves in the scene.
“These will be very social,” said Alanna.
“There will be towel waving, aromatherapy and snowballs laced with essential oils as well as one-on-one guidance.
“We’ll have instruments to enhance the experience and there will be DJs and music to enjoy.
“We might even look into bringing in some non alcoholic mixology too.”
key details: Arc
Arc is set to open its doors offering a range of guided sessions and opportunities to access its facilities from January 31, 2025.
It’s located on Level -2 in Crossrail Place.
As an introductory offer, Wharfers can get three classes for £45 to be used within 14 days.
The Arc Founding Membership offers three classes per month for £84 (£28 each).
Find out more about the facility here
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