At Moss, wellness begins before members even arrive at the subterranean wellness levels for a workout or a steam. It starts with a pick-me-up coffee at the bar, catching up with a friend in a quiet corner of the lounge, or a moment of pause on the sofa outside the gym.
A clustered bulb chandelier, suspended above the lobby’s sculptural staircase, welcomes guests to Moss
For sisters and cofounders Colleen and Hailey Brooks, connection was the centerpiece of the space, and the design had to reflect that. Enter Charles & Co founder Vicky Charles, who sought to “create a sense of community [in a building] where so many people don’t know who their neighbors are,” she says.
This idea guided the club’s design. Occupying five floors of the Kohn Pedersen Fox-designed 88-story 520 Fifth Avenue tower in Manhattan, Moss combines dining, lounge, event, and wellness spaces that easily shift from morning to night while balancing social connection with personal wellbeing. Layered textures, handprinted wallpapers, Venetian plaster, and a palette of earth tones lend the interiors a classic quality rooted in New York’s architectural tradition. At the center of it all is a double-height marble bar overlooking Fifth Avenue through arched windows. “This bar is the roundabout,” Charles says. “It’s like the town square.”
The surrounding rooms reinforce the club’s residential logic: Lil’s sitting room and piano lounge, Babette restaurant, Symposium (for evening salons), private dining areas, and meeting rooms are arranged much like the living rooms of a home. “Because it’s a members club, we’re designing it for the same person every day. We had to think about all the moments in their day and how the design supports that,” Charles explains. For instance, the drawing room connects to the restaurant, which reveals an open kitchen, “making you feel like you’re connected to the food and the wellbeing that goes with it,” she says.
Wellness comes into full view at Bedrock Aquatics & Athletics, a 20,000-square-foot wellness destination spanning two below-ground levels. Rather than leaning into the black-and-gray language of modern gyms, Charles & Co looked to antique civic baths and historic interiors. “We wanted the gym to have its own personality and be more distinct in its color tones,” Charles points out. Full stone slabs, custom mosaics, and soft plaster finishes create an atmosphere that feels crafted and timeless, while hot and cold plunge pools, hammam-inspired thermal spaces, fitness studios, pickleball courts, and golf swing suites support recreation and recovery.
Hot and cold plunge pools at Bedrock Aquatics & Athletics are wrapped in monolithic slabs of white and red stone, recalling the grandeur of historic civic baths
These lower levels are intentionally crafted not to feel underground: light is generous, forms are curved, and seating is layered, creating soft transitions from active to restorative areas. Just outside the gym, a long sofa invites members to linger. “There’s a continued feeling of a club downstairs,” Charles says, “where you can sit for a minute after you’ve worked out or been in the spa and answer some emails or phone calls before you go out into the world.”
This pause captures the essence of Moss—the club is an exercise in slowing down, with space to stop, connect, and build community. “There’s nothing rushed about [being here],” she says. “It’s generous. It’s a space where you should take time for yourself.”
Designed for salon-style gatherings, the Symposium is enveloped in dark wood millwork and framed by olive green velvet sofas and statement wallpaper
At the heart of Moss, a dramatic double-height bar serves as the focal point, framed by arched windows overlooking Fifth Avenue
A fluted wood vanity and richly patterned stone flooring anchor the women’s grooming area at Bedrock
This article originally appeared in HD’s July 2026 issue.