Hangzhou is the city hosted G20 Summit, which has the strongest spirit of the internet in China. As the conception of the internet was born: openness, sharing, and interconnection, the advent of the internet economy has broken the limits of time and space. The new era is gradually optimizing and integrating social resources, overturning people’s thoughts, and thus changing the way people live. Le Fit, a “subvert-er” compare to traditional fitness industry which is based on the internet platform and advocates for “micro-fitness,” has come into being in Hangzhou accordingly.As the chief designer of the first updated Le fit venue in China, Hu Zhile needs to challenge the upgrading of scenes, equipment and experience within a limited space.
“An outstanding designer is not only a stylist, but also a product manager who can explore the value of space,” said Hu:“ The ideal of internet practitioners is to pursue perfection and to be comprehensive, but an excellent product manager knows to make wise trade-offs. The most difficult challenge in the design of the Le Fit Plus gymnasium is to accommodate the endless demands of the internet industry within the controllable range.” Traditional fitness venues covering areas of thousands of square meters mainly gear towards high-end people; however, Le Fit gyms are built on the retail scene in communities and aimed at general public. While guaranteeing the engaging user experience, it is necessary to maximize the use of resources under limited capacity,perfectly balance the proportion of different spaces, achieve maximum area effectiveness and realize rapid duplication of profit models.
The ubiquitous lightning symbol is the most conspicuous mark of the Le Fit fitness center . The emergence of the red and silver lightning symbols standing for speed and passion impresses everyone. It indicates stylish and dynamic environment in the gym, and also narrate a lifestyle engraved with the spirit of Le Fit. The image of lightning has also been processed as oblique lines which are largely used in the venue. These powerful and sturdy lines highlight the sense of power and movement in the design, meanwhile, break the flatness and monotony of space and form a rhythmic echo.
“Sports have gradually transited from simple exercise to a natural lifestyle. People go to the gym and communicate with other exercisers thus fitness center becomes the third space in the type of sport. " This is designer’s understanding of the fitness industry in the internet era. Le fit gym is a buffer zone connecting family and work where people can freely release themselves. The extreme tidiness is one of the most impressive qualities of this space. Glass, steel, and wood, three simple materials corresponding three pure colors, create a calm, clean and clear atmosphere; the dim light injects a warm and soft feeling to space; bright and lively lightning symbols and slashes introduce jumping sense and ignite enthusiasm in the people’s nerves. Colors blend harmoniously with each other in the collisions, and space still maintains a wisp of calmness in the passionate atmosphere, therefore, it can satisfy the need of environment for different exercise types: sweaty aerobics, intense running, or relaxed yoga.
In this gym, people will have the same experience as they do exercises outdoors: central ventilation system and a large number of open able windows purify the indoor air and infuse the venue with the fresh breeze from nature; a lot of glass is used on the facade along the street to bring the outdoor view into the room while delivering a healthy and fashionable lifestyle to the people outside. When the sunshine passes through the windows and sprinkles on the ground, people feel like put themselves in nature. Far away goes the soul, leaves the body still.
