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Architecture & design: An eye for design
In the latest part of our architecture and design series, we showcase four more clubs from around the world that put the spotlight firmly on design
A NEW SPACE
Another_Space, London, UK
Upmarket London gym chain Third Space has opened its first boutique studio, branded Another_Space, targeted at “fitness-savvy, fashion-conscious Londoners”.
The studio, designed by Goldstein Ween, is a 7,582sq ft (704sq m) site in London’s Covent Garden, offering a range of class-based fitness programmes.
The studio is split over two floors and features specialist training rooms for power yoga, cycle and HIIT. The pay-as-you-go concept costs £20 per class, with a small discount for bulk purchases. “Another_Space was designed to create a feeling in our customers that this is their time, away from everyday stresses – a place where they can feel refreshed and energised,” says Suzanne Waggett, head of interior design at Another_Space.
“The design maximises natural light throughout the reception areas and Yoga_Space. We’ve used simple, clean lines and high quality, natural materials. Choices of furniture, lighting and finishes are more akin to those you would find in a boutique hotel than a gym.
“The aim was to create a space where customers want to be, rather than a place feel they should be – where everything about it makes them want to come back.”
OLD MEETS NEW
Trainmore Amsterdam, Netherlands
With interior design by Amsterdam-based Vens architects, Trainmore Amsterdam sets out to create a retail feel within a fitness environment.
As with the other clubs in the Trainmore chain, Trainmore Amsterdam is located in a historic building in the centre of the city – in this case the old post office, located on one of the city’s canals. With an urban, young feel to the club, each room aims to offer members a different experience. For example, the changing rooms are located in the old vaults.
While offering huge potential to be creative – with modern materials such as steel, wood and glass used to complement the older architecture – this approach to site selection also throws up challenges, as the locations tend to spread across several floors and haven’t originally been designed with health and fitness in mind.
FLUID THINKING
Moksha, Panchkula (Haryana), India
The architects responsible for creating Moksha had a challenge on their hands: how to create everything the client wanted, including a spa and cycling studio, in available 2,000sqft space of the basement beneath the existing gym facility.
Moksha was therefore kept simple and linear, with the different areas flowing into each other. Glass partitions for the studios add an element of transparency, providing glimpses of the activities inside, yet separating them from each other. On top of this, however, a sense of depth is achieved via the use of overlapping metal frames.
Further interest has been added to the design by hanging old, used bicycles from the ceiling in the passageway, and using treated wooden branches for the ceiling design in the reception area. To break the monotony of subdued interiors, large colourful murals and posters are used on studio walls. Flooring has been kept darker in contrast with the walls and ceiling, balancing the visuals.
SLIDING DOORS
Core Collective, London, UK
Architecture studio Waind Gohil + Potter Architects (WG+P) have transformed the ground floor and basement of an abandoned mansion block to create a bespoke gym in London.
The gym, operated by boutique operator Core Collective, features exposed concrete and masonry, ambient and interactive lighting, refined acoustics and several social spaces. WG+P have also added a café, shop, restaurant, juice bar and public art programme “to provide a truly unique space for wellbeing in the city”.
The studios in the gym use sliding screens to adapt to different uses, including instructor-led sessions like TRX, HIIT, power yoga and group cycling. Other features include colour-changing LED lighting, which creates “low, warm and energised space” for group cycling and “expanded, cool and focused space” for yoga. The sound system interacts with the lighting to vary intensity during a workout.
