REPEAT FITNESS & WELLNESS CLUB | whitebox architects

The site is located in the first basement of a shopping center in the city center of Tirana, with central access from escalators and no natural lighting. These features gave us the idea of ​​developing the functions of the gym in indoor and open spaces, around a nucleus of common use, as a kind of underground city with its shops, squares and parks, with an emphasis on a a running path that runs all sections as a road. The construction that bridged the gap between the anode and the descent of the stairs was first demolished, and now it reaches the underground natural light from the glass ceiling of the commercial. Down the stairs one finds at the core of the "city" where the slot and the juice bar were placed, two spaces separated by a green path with a tree. Then one enters the running trail that encircles them, meets the open areas with gym equipment, glass-enclosed halls for training programs, children's playroom, changing rooms, stairs leading to the indoor swimming pool. This route is "etched" at the same time on the roof with two bright neon tubes that either continue their circular path or escape to end up with luminous signs and lead to individual spaces. The "road" was painted with the dark red of the track, with a glossy finish, however, to reflect the lights giving a feeling of wet pavement. The air conditioning and ventilation tubes were visible and highlighted in yellow as opposed to the black ceiling. The floor was laid with natural cement, while wood and wood were placed in the reception areas and the bar.

The feel of the metropolis, with bare concrete columns, the new signs, the futuristic lighting on the corridors, the visible mechanical installations, the reflections on the windows and the circular route, dominates the area. At the same time, more gentle and natural elements that symbolize healthy exercise and nutrition complement the image and soften the industrial aesthetics: Wood, bamboo and pebbles, trees and a whole grass-covered wall absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen.