River House Henley: Reimagining an Iconic Riverside Building

Over the past year, I’ve had the pleasure of working as part of the design team behind River House, a proposal to reimagine the iconic Henley River & Rowing Museum as a luxury wellness destination designed with families in mind.

The team behind the project has bid to acquire the building, with a vision to transform it into a thoughtfully designed space dedicated to wellbeing, community and connection in Henley-on-Thames.

Set within this remarkable riverside setting, River House aims to create a destination that feels both contemporary and deeply rooted in its surroundings.

A New Kind of Wellness Destination

The proposed concept brings together a carefully considered mix of spaces designed to support modern life.

Plans include an indoor swimming pool situated on the first floor of the building, state-of-the-art gym, wellness studios, a restaurant overlooking the river, a coffee shop, co-working spaces, and padel courts, all designed to work together as a relaxed and welcoming environment for the local community.

As with all projects we approach, the intention is not simply to design interiors, but to create spaces that feel balanced, enduring and naturally connected to the way people live.

Little River House

Alongside the main wellness club sits Little River House, a dedicated family space designed so parents and children can enjoy the building together.

A beautifully designed soft play area and two crèches will allow younger visitors to spend time playing and exploring, while parents take a class, catch up on work, or simply pause for a coffee overlooking the river. It’s a small but important part of the vision: wellness that works for family life.

Looking Ahead

River House has been a long time in the making, and it’s exciting to finally see the project out in the open and to hear feedback from the local community. A huge amount of care has gone into shaping a proposal that feels considered, inclusive and rooted in Henley itself, imagining how this much-loved riverside building might evolve into a vibrant new destination for the town.

Bid Update

Since sharing this journal, the team has received confirmation that the bid to acquire the Henley River & Rowing Museum was unfortunately not successful.

While this is naturally disappointing after such a long and considered process, it has been a privilege to be part of a team imagining how this remarkable riverside building might evolve into a vibrant wellness destination for Henley-on-Thames.

An enormous amount of work, care and collaboration went into shaping the River House proposal, and we remain incredibly grateful to everyone who supported the vision along the way.

We wish the successful bidder every success with the next chapter of the building and hope it continues to play an important role within the Henley community.