February 28, 2017

Equinox Opens Second Brooklyn Location by Inc Architecture & Design in Williamsburg

In serious expansion mode, Equinox launched a hospitality division and opened 10 more gyms in the past year—a pair of them completed by Inc Architecture & Design for locations in Brooklyn, New York. Already working on a branch in the Dumbo neigh­borhood, Inc was tapped for one in the heart of hipster Williamsburg. “Doing both proj­ects at the same time was an interesting juxtaposition,” partner and managing and creative director Adam Rolston says.

> Project Resources

Though the neighborhoods share a manu­facturing past and a present dominated by the creative class, Dumbo has a commercial thrust, while much of Williamsburg skews residential—and younger. The two gyms’ design reflects those subtle differences. At the 22,000-­square­-foot Williamsburg space, the aesthetic tips more hard­-edged and masculine, with plenty of hot­-rolled steel and plain white walls. Pipes are painted fire­ engine red to become a feature in their own right. “Equinox invests more in design than most gyms do, but the budget is still not ex­travagant. You have to get creative,” Rolston continues. Inexpensive pendant fixtures’ black­-painted cylinders seem to punch down­ ward from the ceiling above the strength, stretching, and cardio areas.

Since the two branches opened, a major difference has been the ebb and flow of occupancy. Dumbo experiences rush hours before 9:00 AM and after 5:00 PM. Williams­burg, home to the gig economy, enjoys a slow burn all day long.

> See the project’s resources here

> See more from the February 2017 issue of Interior Design

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