Design specialists, The Wellness, worked with in-house engineers for Jumeirah to create a state-of-the-art gym for Talise Fitness at the Jumeirah Al Naseem in Dubai

What’s unique about this project is that we thought of all aspects in parallel, the fitness experience, the equipment and the interior design,” says Mohammed Ibrahim, CEO of The Wellness. “It’s almost as though we felt the pulse of the space while we were designing it – as though we were training in it.”

Guests staying at the Jumeirah Al Naseem resort have full access to the Talise Fitness facilities, which are equipped with strength training, free-weights, cardio and stretching, with areas dedicated to modular training and group exercise classes.

The Wellness also introduced unique cardio machines which take training and coordination into a total different level.

Other facilities include changing pods with lockers, vanity areas, showers and a sauna, which is used as part of the recovery programme.

This focus on recovery, is one of the things that makes the gym special, as Ibrahim explains: “The main approach behind this boutique gym is to highlight the correlation between fitness and the recovery process, so guests can learn the importance of recovery – the different methods that can be used, and how it affects the continuity of training routines.”

“This is a trendsetting approach to fitness,” he says, “where the fitness floor contains all the training elements for a complete workout experience, but with a focus on recovery –  people always forget about how important this process is.

Beautiful location
“The location also had a huge impact on how we designed the space,” he says, “the natural surroundings and extraordinary light are the unique accents that give the space its flawless beauty and warmth.”

Using materials such as wood, leather and matt gold accents, The Wellness created an impression of luxury and style throughout the 430sq m facility, while the natural light and rich materials give the gym a dramatic and dynamic mood.

“We maximised the space by using the whole workout floor as one big active area,” says Ibrahim. “Adding a fitness walk helped divide the space into different training zones, while still giving the impression that it’s all one big fitness arena.

“But it’s not only about designing a space, it’s also about designing the whole experience,” says Ibrahim. “Thinking through where people wil train, where they’ll relax and picturing each and every moment. I walked down this fitness walk a million times before it ever existed.

Visualisting in this kind of detail leaves you confident that the design outcomes and impression you will leave behind will affect the user in the most positive ways possible.