30 Aug 2019
Gymshark unveils £5m innovation hub and 'best gym in Europe'
BY Tom Walker
Fitness wear and apparel supplier Gymshark has opened its first Gymshark Lifting Club (GSLC), combining a studio and fitness centre with an innovation hub, focusing on employee wellbeing and brand innovation.
Working in partnership with design and build company Oktra, the company has transformed a 55,000sq ft former warehouse facility into a complex featuring a large, 20,000sq ft health club and studio space – designed to be "the best in Europe" – and additional spaces which will help it with its product development.
There are a number of distinctive facilities within the gym – including 13 Olympic-grade weight lifting platforms and an outdoor strongman yard space.
Ben Francis, Gymshark founder, said: "During our time in this industry we have had the pleasure of visiting and training at the best gyms in the world.
"Gymshark Lifting Club will see us combine our favourite parts of each of these gyms to create something which will serve as the ultimate home to anyone really interested in conditioning."
Located within 100 yards of Gymshark HQ in Solihull, GSLC will also host team training and engagement sessions, featuring an ‘X’ shaped central concrete health bar designed specifically as a point for learning and personal training.
Facilities also include a 100-person auditorium, R&D factory and multiple high-tech photography studios to support Gymshark in the launch of their new fitness app.
"Having developed Gymshark HQ as a facility that enables their business to grow, we then moved on to GSLC, which enables their people to grow," said Sean Espinasse, design director at Oktra North.
"It offers something different from a typical office environment– it’s a playground for mental and physical development."
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