1Rebel secures large studio site at London's iconic Post Building

Boutique fitness operator 1Rebel has secured a 9,000sq ft site at The Post Building – the major mixed-use development which will transform the iconic former Royal Mail Sorting Office in the West End of London.

1Rebel will occupy a space covering parts of the ground and mezzanine floors, creating a showcase fitness club and retail space that "takes full advantage of the double-height space offered by The Post Building’s industrial heritage".

Created by Giles Dean and James Balfour, the son of Fitness First founder Mike Balfour, 1Rebel, offers a no-contract approach based around three HIIT concepts - Reshape, Ride and Rumble – for ‘people who hate traditional gyms’.

The flagship studio will house the largest Reshape space in London and is the company's first West End club.

“The Post Building is an extraordinary space and, being located equidistant between Holborn and Tottenham Court Road (Crossrail) tube stations, heralds our arrival into London’s West End," said Giles Dean, 1Rebel co-founder.

"Our customers want a unique experience in a premium environment. The Post Building, with its commitment to design and heritage as London’s former Royal Mail Sorting Office, enables us to deliver in this regard and continue our commitment to design spaces for our customers that are destinations in their own right.

The opening is part of 1Rebel's expansion plans and comes just months after it secured £6.6m investment from venture capital fund Codex Capital.

It now has six clubs in London and three others in the pipeline.

Last year, co-founder James Balfour revealed plans to launch the brand in Australia.

The company has appointed a CEO and management team in Australia and plans to open its first club in either Sydney or Melbourne in the first half of 2019.

“There’s lots of opportunity in Australia and we know people too, from the days when Australia was the jewel of the Fitness First crown,” Balfour said.

“We’ve used our network in Australia to put a great team in place – a team we implicitly trust to execute the plan."

The Post Building is a joint venture between Oxford Properties Group and Brockton Capital.

Set to be completed later this month (May 2019), The ambitious project will deliver 33,000sq ft of flexible retail, leisure and restaurant space, a 7,500sq ft rooftop garden with 360-degree views and 260,000sq ft of office space.

• To read an interview with James Balfour in the November/December 2018 issue of HCM, click here.