Studio Ardete's idiosyncratic Indian health club 'leaves impact on the psyche'
– Abhimanue Sharma
Indian architecture firm Studio Ardete have pledged to “break the stereotypes surrounding the design of fitness spaces” in the country after unveiling a gym which embraces quirkiness and idiosyncratic design.
According to the architects, the Pro Fitness Gymnasium, located in the small city Kurukshetra, was “born from the idea that a health club can be both individualistic and practical”.
The 5,000sq ft (464sq m) site – the largest of its type in the city – is fitted with asymmetrical and distinctive design features and has been developed as a prototype for other designers to take inspiration from.
White fluid ceiling volumes run throughout the two-storey facility, merging into walls and lockers and through into the cafe, multipurpose fitness hall and aerobics studio on the first floor. The subdued colour palette of white, with blacks and grey A/C vents, occasionally contrasts with vibrant green walls and other splashes of colour.
“The concept of visual solidarity is essential to the design, and we’ve tried to define a new language for fitness design that allows for a balance of idiosyncrasies and conventionalities,” said project manager Abhimanue Sharma. “Not unlike most examples of good spatial design, the gymnasium leaves an impact on the psyche of the visitor and the user alike.”
The second floor features weight training and cardio gyms. Here the architectural language and muted lighting is deliberately subtle to contrast with the high energy exercises taking place in the spaces. Zigzagging rafters and crisscrossing ropes have been installed on the ceiling to contrast solid volumes against voids and grids against negative spaces.
“The overall impact is that of an art installation rather than a mere design element seeking to create interest,” said Sharma. “This dalliance with art is a crucial part of the design as it attempts to erase, or at least soften, the line separating art and architecture.”
The Pro Fitness Gymnasium is Studio Ardete’s second health club project completed recently with the aim of making the design of fitness facilities in India more exciting. The practice previously designed the "whimsical" gym, spa and indoor cycling studio Moksha in Panchkula district.
Studio Ardete health club design architecture India fitness art Pro Fitness GymnasiumUAE’s first Dior Spa debuts in Dubai at Dorchester Collection’s newest hotel, The Lana
Europe's premier Evian Spa unveiled at Hôtel Royal in France
Clinique La Prairie unveils health resort in China after two-year project
GoCo Health Innovation City in Sweden plans to lead the world in delivering wellness and new science
Four Seasons announces luxury wellness resort and residences at Amaala
Aman sister brand Janu debuts in Tokyo with four-floor urban wellness retreat
€38m geothermal spa and leisure centre to revitalise Croatian city of Bjelovar
Two Santani eco-friendly wellness resorts coming to Oman, partnered with Omran Group
Kerzner shows confidence in its Siro wellness hotel concept, revealing plans to open 100
Ritz-Carlton, Portland unveils skyline spa inspired by unfolding petals of a rose
Rogers Stirk Harbour & Partners are just one of the names behind The Emory hotel London and Surrenne private members club
Peninsula Hot Springs unveils AUS$11.7m sister site in Australian outback
IWBI creates WELL for residential programme to inspire healthy living environments
Conrad Orlando unveils water-inspired spa oasis amid billion-dollar Evermore Resort complex
Studio A+ realises striking urban hot springs retreat in China's Shanxi Province
Populous reveals plans for major e-sports arena in Saudi Arabia
Wake The Tiger launches new 1,000sq m expansion
Othership CEO envisions its urban bathhouses in every city in North America
Merlin teams up with Hasbro and Lego to create Peppa Pig experiences
SHA Wellness unveils highly-anticipated Mexico outpost
One&Only One Za’abeel opens in Dubai featuring striking design by Nikken Sekkei
Luxury spa hotel, Calcot Manor, creates new Grain Store health club
'World's largest' indoor ski centre by 10 Design slated to open in 2025
Murrayshall Country Estate awarded planning permission for multi-million-pound spa and leisure centre
Aman's Janu hotel by Pelli Clarke & Partners will have 4,000sq m of wellness space
Therme Group confirms Incheon Golden Harbor location for South Korean wellbeing resort
Universal Studios eyes the UK for first European resort
King of Bhutan unveils masterplan for Mindfulness City, designed by BIG, Arup and Cistri
Rural locations are the next frontier for expansion for the health club sector
Tonik Associates designs new suburban model for high-end Third Space health and wellness club
Designing an eco hotel for the Galapagos Islands that allowed the stunning natural surroundings to take centre stage while minimising its impact on the land presented its own unique set of challenges, Ecuadorian architect Humberto Plaza tells Kathryn Hudson