Warehouse Gym - Boutique fitness for the design savvy

Located in Dubai Design District (d3); Warehouse Gym is one chic workout zone. The purpose built mecca is home to the region’s most growing and vibrant design community, including entrepreneurs, startups and international brands.

Interior architects at VSHD main challenge was to deliver a boutique fitness facility which appeals to the design savvy community.

Muscle power

The gym facility at 600 square meters included a gym floor, juice bar, cycling studio and circuit training factory. The unit was once separated into three retail spaces which posed a visual design disruption. Overcoming the structural challenge requires a complete design rehash which resulted in a glass box planted in the center of the space housing the cycling podium, in which cyclists appear to float while pedaling.

The design direction was inspired by brutalism in architecture and underground fight clubs. The architects used materials locally sourced concrete bricks for walls and flooring, which are very resilient to heavy use and develop an appealing patina over time. Gold-copper alloy highlights lend a fashionable edge to the overall aesthetic which is largely elegant and masculine.

Specifically customized and suspended LED light functions as vibrant lighting while concealing overhead lines and cables.

A cafe with a view

As the Warehouse Gym in D3 is located at the main entrance of the district with views from two main streets, it was essential that the design would capitalize on the view from the street to attract new members from the design-savvy community.

The reception/juice bar was designed as a communal space with a 17-meter-long glass façade on the main street creating a meeting point for the design community where they can meet after their daily workout or for non-members to stop by and grab a healthy smoothie or salad while experiencing the ambience of the gym.

Spaces in the revamped Warehouse Gym flow seamlessly in a very functional manner where every type of exercise has its own unique space, yet remains accessible to one another to ensure that the different users enjoy the gym’s dynamism and vibrancy.

Photography by Nik and Tam