ONE of the North East’s largest Pilates studios is opening a new luxury boutique fitness studio after seeing a surge in interest for its high-energy, fun workouts.
ARV Studios has signed a 10-year lease on the first floor of Sunniside Social, a new leisure hub being established in the heart of Sunderland’s creative quarter.
Inspired by the best boutique fitness studios from across the globe and comprising of 7,500sq ft, the new location will allow the business - which has amassed a loyal following since its launch in October 2024 – to deliver more sessions and increase its range of services.
While maintaining it’s dark-lit, nightclub-style spaces for the reformer Pilates classes which it has become renowned for, it will also allow ARV to offer everything from ice baths to boxing classes, treadmill sprint sessions and wellness events.
A healthy café serving protein smoothies and nutritious bites will act as the central social hub of the space - a place to meet and connect, creating a first-of-its-kind luxury boutique fitness destination for the city.
Co-founder Anna Rhodes-Voza, who set up the business alongside her husband, Raf Voza, said: “We are absolutely delighted to have finally secured our dream space at Sunniside Social.
“Since we opened in 2024, we’ve grown to become the region’s largest reformer Pilates studio and this is thanks to the incredible community we are fortunate to have supporting us.
“Many of the classes we host are now fully booked well in advance and with increasing numbers of people asking how they can get involved, this new space will allow us to cater for the growing number of people wanting to get into reformer Pilates or try their hand at any of the other high intensity workouts we’ll be offering.
“We’ll have five different studios, a sauna, ice baths and a café. Our ambition is for it to provide a new, luxury boutique fitness facility for the city.”
The pair are also hoping the new café and wellness spaces will help appeal to a changing demographic of people in the region who are ‘seeking something a little different’ and ‘looking to lead healthier, happier lives.’
“Anna and I met while traveling in Australia,” Raf said. “She was from London and I was from Sunderland and we spent a lot of our time going to classes and visiting different studios.
“Once we returned home, we knew we’d need somewhere we could train and we realised that, while there were lots of places in London, there was nothing in the North East remotely like the studios we’d been experiencing on our travels, so we set up our own and this new studio is the culmination of that vision finally coming to life.
“We want our concept to feel like you’re going out and socialising while still doing something good for your body. It’ll be like nothing the North East has seen before.”
Sunniside Social will see the former Register Buildings transformed into a new leisure complex, with upgrades comprising repairs to the Grade II listed building façade, streetscape improvements, and new shop frontages.
ARV Studios is the second business to invest in the development, following award-winning restaurant chain, My Delhi, and Anna and Raf cited the ongoing regeneration of the area as inspiring them to make the move.
“Sunniside is such a cool part of Sunderland with everything going on,” Anna said. “You’ve got the new housing at Nile + Villiers, George Clarke’s bookshop, the revamped cinema and all of the incredible work going on at Sunniside Social.
“We see it as being a bit like Ouseburn in its early days. A really creative, historic area which is very up and coming, so it’s really exciting to see our brand being part of this transformation and hopefully we can continue to grow with it.”
The pair were introduced to Sunniside Social by Lofthouse and Partners and were supported in the move by both the business investment and property investment teams at Sunderland City Council.
Patrick Melia OBE, Chief Executive of Sunderland City Council, said: “It is fantastic to have ARV Studios signed up as one of our anchor tenants for Sunniside Social.
“Tens of millions of pounds of investment is transforming Sunniside into a new, vibrant creative quarter for the city and to be able to attract a brand like ARV, which embodies the community spirit we’re trying to foster here, is brilliant.
“It’s yet another great development for this ever-changing part of the city which is finally getting the recognition it deserves for its incredible history and potential. Long may it continue.”
Interested in finding out more about Sunniside Social? Contact: [email protected] or [email protected].