Manipulating surfaces with coloured translucency and reflectivity, Broadgate Club West pioneered the use of new technologies that have now become commonplace. An illuminated spine wall – an electrified homage to the Howard Hodgkin blue tile mural at Broadgate's other city club – extends the entire length of the ground floor of the Triton Square office building; an artificial horizon that moves (via the subtle modulation of colour) from dawn to dusk, separating changing rooms from exercise zones and wrapping, conceptually-speaking, onto the front surface of the reception desk. The wall continues outside into the otherwise grey tones of the surrounding context, and, around the corner, translucent glazing enlivens a covered arcade mixing discreet views into the gym with alternating panels of colour and text, the latter a series of haikus emphasising the club’s holistic approach to healthcare. In a reversal of the archetypal trend of centralised gym equipment surrounded by mirrored walls, here free-standing steel-framed mirrors are distributed amongst the machines to disperse the presence of the back-lit spine wall. Both large (over 2,000 square metres) and up-market, Broadgate Club West distinguishes itself from the pop-in and pump-up buzz of a conventional gym to offer a sophisticated suite of exercise spaces, a bar, changing rooms and offices.
Awards
- 1998 RIBA Award for Architecture
