Studio Saxe have created a fitness centre in Costa Rica designed to be a "small village amongst the trees" that brings guests and locals together, as well as close to nature. The Athletic Center was built as an extension of the Gilded Iguana hotel in the town of Nosara. Rather than simply create a single large volume, the architects and the client wanted to work around the trees and the

Third Space 's new £10m ($13m, €12m), 47,000sq ft (4,400sq m) full-service club in Islington, London, designed by Universal Design Studio, is said to be the largest health club to open in the UK's capital for more than 10 years. At the heart of the club is a 7,000sq ft (650sq m) "arena space" for flexible training, featuring a custom-built running track, dedicated strength training area, a bespoke functional training

Action PR have created a new studio design for Everyone Active 's Fortis Powered by Speedflex fitness brand that is focussed on inclusivity and integrates the workout technology into the space. Speedflex is a type of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) delivered using resistance exercise machines in small-group, trainer-led classes. Individuals of different training abilities can be in the same classes because Speedflex machines automatically adjust their resistance levels to the

studioTroika has designed the latest branch of boutique fitness franchise EverybodyFights, founded by George Foreman III, which is set to open in New Hampshire. The 6,200sq ft (604sq m) club will feature a full-size boxing ring, personal and small group training areas, two group exercise classrooms and an open gym space including free weights, squat racks, functional equipment and treadmills. Chris DaVeiga, trainer at EverybodyFights and operator of the new

Hufft have created a community fitness centre in Humboldt, Kansas, that reflects the US city's industrial roots through a bold design and considered, high-quality materials. The 10,000sq ft (930sq m) facility was originally conceived as an amenity for the workforce of a local business, but the concept was ultimately developed to cater for the whole community. The centre is, in many ways, unremarkable, but stands out for a number of

Interior design firm Hyphen & Co. has worked with pre-hab fitness brand P.volve to create a new flagship studio in New York's Soho district that accommodates and integrates technology for workouts. The 6,700sq ft (622sq m) studio houses a main exercise space capable of hosting 30 people that is equipped with an ergonomic floor to reduce the pressure on joints when people are training. The studio is also equipped with

A radical ring-shaped aquatic centre with wellness facilities and outdoor green space – designed by Andrew Burges Architects, Grimshaw Architects and McGregor Coxall – is to be built in Parramatta, Australia. The centre, which will be nestled into parkland surroundings and cover a total area of approximately 18,000sq ft (1,670sq m), will feature a 10-lane, 50m outdoor pool, a 25m indoor pool and facilities for individuals learning to swim, as

Fitness wear and apparel supplier Gymshark has opened its first Gymshark Lifting Club (GSLC), combining a studio and fitness centre with an innovation hub, focusing on employee wellbeing and brand innovation. Working in partnership with design and build company Oktra, the company has transformed a 55,000sq ft former warehouse facility into a complex featuring a large, 20,000sq ft health club and studio space – designed to be "the best in

Corporate Fitness Works (CFW) has launched a fitness club design division, responding to demand from commercial real estate owners and developers wanting to include a fitness element in their projects. US-based CFW has carved out a market in developing and managing health clubs and programmes for corporations, such as New York Life and Volkswagen. The new division, called CFW Design, will cater for the increased demand from developers wanting to

Solent University, UK, has officially opened its new £28m sports and fitness centre. The centre houses two sports halls, three gyms and an indoor cycling studio. There are also two exercise studios, a physiotherapy treatment room and a dedicated basketball centre – one of only two of its kind in the UK. The university worked with Pulse Fitness on the design of the new facility, which is part of an

Hannah Lanel has opened The Fore – a new model of boutique gym offering two instructors per class – in London's King’s Cross, an increasingly residential area of the city. Lanel was responsible for The Fore's distinctive interior design. She told CLAD, that the sleek decor – which features fittings by Tom Dixon – was inspired by her own home. The Fore is part of a growing trend towards combining

Equinox has revealed it will begin offering co-working space in its high-end health clubs. The company has signed a partnership with premium flexible workspace provider Industrious, which marks the launch of an entirely new category for Equinox. Industrious has an in-house design team, led by architect Eivind Karlsen as head of design. Operating under the co-brand, Industrious at Equinox, the first location will be at the 72-storey skyscraper 35 Hudson

Architectural icon, Peter Cook, and his business partner, Gavin Robotham, co-founders of Cook Robotham Architectural Bureau (CRAB), have revealed they're working on an innovative fitness, sport and leisure project in Mumbai. Speaking in the latest issue of CLADmag, Cook said the new facility could represent the future of mixed-activity clubs. "The core of the building's central area runs through two floors and is surrounded on both by a series of

Tennis star Maria Sharapova has joined forces with US sports architect Dan Meis to start a new design venture creating “inspirational” health, fitness, sporting and wellness facilities for the hospitality sector. Inspired, in part, by hotelier Ian Schrager’s boutique hotel revolution, the pair are already in talks to create branded experience-led training venues for hotels, resorts and sports clubs that will help budding and professional athletes reach their peak performance.

Celebrity personal trainer Steve Halsall has opened a 3,500sq ft (325sq m) boutique health club in a co-living building in north-west London. Enrgym, in Old Oak, Willesden, is free to use for people living in the complex, which has been developed by property company The Collective using a 'co-living' concept described as "a new way to live". The design of the building, created by PLP Architecture, takes the form of

It has just collaborated with Philippe Starck on a luxury apartment complex in the heart of Midtown Atlanta, and is in the midst of planning one of America’s most hotly-anticipated wellness communities. Now spa, fitness and leisure consulting firm WTS International is seeking to expand its team with the appointment of a project interior designer. The studio – which is involved with the concept design, planning, interior design and operation

Hospitality giant Hilton has unveiled a new in-room concept, Five Feet to Fitness, which brings more than 11 different fitness equipment and accessory options into the hotel room and creates an upselling option for hotel operators. Ryan Crabbe, senior director of global wellness for Hilton says the room is a “personal wellbeing stage”. “We like to describe it as a guestroom dedicated to movement and mindfulness,” he told CLAD. “It

A 3,500sq m (37,600sq ft) Shangri-La health club designed to “inject energy into the heart of Beijing’s central business district” will open in the Chinese capital in June. The forthcoming 450-bedroom Hotel Jen Beijing – a Shangri-La property – will operate the Trainyard Gym, keeping it open 24/7 in a bid to cement the facility as “the city’s go-to spot for fitness, recreation and nutrition.” Designed by Stickman Design, the

The government of Canada and Quebec municipality have each pledged to invest US$4.4m (€4m, £3.4m) for the construction of a large-scale aqua-gym complex in the town of Dolbeau-Mistassini, the government of which will fund the same amount. The facility will feature nn indoor waterpark, including a shallow pool, slides and water games; a six-corridor pool; two diving areas; a sauna; two mezzanines; and a gymnasium. "Cultural and recreational infrastructure helps

German fitness operator McFit has launched a new gym concept centred around design and music. The first John Reed Fitness Music Clubs launched in the cities of Bonn and Salzburg in late July 2016. To date, nine have been opened in Germany, Austria, Italy and Hungary, and McFit wants to have 30 studios open by the end of 2017. Each club has its own unique design, with furnishings and features

Danish architecture practice Dissing+Weitling have designed a 7.6km (4.7 miles) elevated bicycle route – billed as “the longest in the world” – in the heart of the Chinese city Xiamen. The ‘cycling skyway’ has been built in order to decrease traffic congestion and promote greener and more sustainable forms of transportation, as well as more active and healthy lifestyles. It was designed and completed in only six months. The route

Design studio Amos Goldreich Architecture have completed a “dynamic and tranquil” health club in London for Xtend Barre, with the site earmarked as the American fitness brand’s first flagship European studio. Located on Marylebone High Street, the 3,000sq ft (278sq m) club is a contemporary space for Xtend Barre’s “adrenaline-fuelled” training classes – a fusion of ballet, dance and Pilates that enhance flexibility, improve balance, and challenge the core. The

From a running track where you can race against your own avatar, to a swimming pool designed following the principle of feng shui, 2016 has been a diverse and thought-provoking year the design of health clubs, swimming pools and fitness facilities. Here, we continue our CLAD review of the year by re-visiting some of the most interesting of these buildings that have opened in the last twelve months. CLAD Review

Sportswear giant Adidas has revealed its plans to transform its German headquarters into a huge leisure campus, including four star-shaped public spaces promoting exercise and outdoor activity. Dutch studio LOLA Landscape Architects have designed the outdoor component of the World of Sports campus in the town of Herzogenaurach, which will provide a canvas for employees to test Adidas products for activities ranging from football and running to skateboarding and cycling.

Parisian gym-goers could soon be powering scenic boat trips along the River Seine on a fitness vessel that harnesses energy from passengers’ workouts. The Paris Navigating Gym is the latest innovation from architects and researchers Carlo Ratti Associati. They have partnered with non-profit design group Terreform ONE, urban regeneration institute URBEM and fitness firm Technogym to develop the project. The boat – which has been designed in response to a

US-based health club chain Equinox has revealed plans to open two new properties in London. The premium operator, which opened its first UK club in the capital’s upmarket Kensington area in 2012, said the two new clubs are part of plans for a “continued expansion throughout London in the coming years”. The first of the new clubs, located at 12 St. James’s Street in central London, is set to open

by Kim Megson | 14 Sep 2016

The design studio at Bartle Bogle Hegarty Singapore and global sportswear giant Nike have joined forces to open a “reimagined running track” in the centre of Manila where sprinters can race against themselves. The Unlimited Stadium was a shaped as a huge sole print of Nike's newest footwear release, the Lunar Epic. The 200m track was lined with an LED screen, and up to 30 runners at a time were