Victoria is in the throes of a bathing renaissance, with the arrival of three idyllic new hot springs and spas across the state just this month.

But About Time – a stunning bathhouse and wellness space soon to open in Torquay, on Victoria’s Surf Coast – is carving out a niche.

“Bathing is often about the destination – on the Mornington Peninsula and other properties with thermal springs,” co-founder Kent Pomare tells Broadsheet. “But here, bathing will be supplementary to what we already do so well.”

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The bathhouse brings together Pomare’s leading facial studio Little Company (which has locations in Melbourne and Byron) and “directly compatible” holistic massage practice Still Beauty.

“At [some] day spas, all therapists do all treatments,” says Still Beauty’s Joanna Beecher. “But it’s impossible for one therapist to be good at everything.”

Instead of a jack-of-all-trades approach, the cornerstone of About Time will be a highly focused menu of Little Company facials and Still Beauty massages by highly skilled specialists. “Both of our offers are very minimalistic, but very refined,” says Pomare.

About Time will sprawl across more than 1000 square metres of the former Quiksilver headquarters on Baines Crescent, which is also home to Sou’west Brewery as well as a cafe, Pilates studio and co-working space.

“There’s a brutal element to Torquay and the Surf Coast,” says Pomare – and that’s been captured in the design by David Goss of Studio Goss. The aesthetic is rich, dark and textural, softened with billowing plant life by landscape-design studio Florian Wild.

Facials and massages will happen across eight sanctuary-like treatment rooms, and there’ll be a ninth “wet” room – a dedicated space for full-body scrubs.

Beyond them will be an interconnected network of bathing experiences. There’ll be one large indoor magnesium pool – plus two outdoor ones amid the greenery – as well as three cold-plunge pools, a fire-fuelled sauna, a steam room and two infrared saunas.

The communal bathing area will cater to no more than 25 people, but you can also opt for the “more premium, more quiet” secluded bathing option if privacy is paramount.

Numerous combinations of treatments and bathing experiences will be available, from quick-hit to full-day. But the relaxation focus will be rounded out with a “functional and performance component”, thanks to Carlton footballer Ed Curnow, who – along with his wife, Emily Curnow – completes the About Time team.

About Time is set to open at 27 Baines Crescent, Torquay, at the end of summer. Sign up online to get updates and early access.

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