Located in New Delhi, Reps Fitness Studio is a bespoke health club that is working purposely towards fulfilling the vision of a fit India by providing custom made fitness programs for individuals and groups. The client shut down two previously owned fitness centres and wanted to merge the two into one big studio. Thereby arose the need to completely revamp and build a new identity for the fitness studio now spanning 6000 sq. ft. The objective was to create a large stylish club with high-quality equipment and original design.
Spanning two floors, the Reps Fitness Studio shuns the monotonous gym architecture by favoring olive green colour in the brand palette. This created an opportunity for us to configure a distinct and vivid visual language that promotes instant brand recognition. The fitness studio has various chambers for different activities. Each room allows the practicing of activities in optimal conditions – natural daylighting, ventilation and acoustic treatment. Since the connections between the different rooms are short and distributed, the functioning of the equipment is optimized.
The lower floor comprises reception, Personal studio, Diet Bar, Director’s room, yoga studio, staff pantry, and washrooms. The upper floor has spaces for cardio, strength training, free weight training, locker room, staff pantry, and spa. The layout of the fitness studio is a response to this new paradigm of combinative workouts for an individual that offers personal space and freedom of movement according to the individual’s choice. For the same reason, the studio is partitioned into zones by using cove-lit arches that dramatically span a large distance. These arches are gypsum-painted with wooden architraves. A screen made of rope segregates the weight training area and the locker rooms while also acting as a sculptural element.
The yoga-cum-Pilates room addresses the need for low-impact exercise with controlled movements for the busy professionals looking for a convenient space to maintain form. The space facilitates private and group sessions for dance and aerobics enthusiasts. In an effort to overhaul the identity and add a dramatic flair, seating booths, a circular staircase, and a floating reception table among other elements were conceptualized carefully. Among the three pods of the photo booth, the centre pod has a flexible arrangement to simplify circulation and layout needs.
The fitness center makes use of metal in multiple places lending it a chic, effortless grace. The floating, birch ply reception table is supported by a metal pipe for an additional flair. The circular, metal-folded staircase is hung from the ceiling with the help of metal bars and floats above the floor to make it look less boring and maximize the usage of space. Steel pipes in the arches serve a dual purpose; they ensure the structural efficiency of the arches while also giving them a pronounced appearance. When the arches seduce the user with their form and continue undeterred to be at the heart of the design, mirrors on the ceilings and the walls create drama and reflect exciting energy. The lighting profile is simple but impactful and harnesses the flexibility of track lights to its advantage. With regular lighting, the space looks too bright and harsh, and people won’t like looking at themselves,” explains Bhavuk. “If there is appropriate architectural lighting, reflections are softer, everyone looks good, and they see more silhouette, not details.” To that effect, the fitness studio was fitted with 3000 Kelvin track lights.
The façade is kept fuss-free and clean. The flooring is a mix of wood vinyl in the cardio section, rubber for the free weights section, and tile throughout the gym. The diet bar was added as a perk for the members. It offers a full-fledged menu from an in-house chef. “One of the best things is having an on-site juice, smoothie or snack bar. Members can pick up a healthy beverage or a snack after class, making the gym the ultimate one-stop shop,” says Bhavuk.
Reps Fitness Studio is an answer to the lackluster aesthetics commonly found in fitness studios. Its architecture seeks a pragmatic recreation of common exercises and activities which have disappeared owing to a sedentary lifestyle. By introducing diversity in spaces, the fitness studio is a testament to celebrating balance and efficiency of time while working out and moments of rest.
Learn more about the unique branding concept and logo design behind Reps Fitness Studio brought to life through a collaboration with Gulabo Chhap Design Works.