Lighting in Design Q2 2020

Building a brand with lighting

V SHD Design, a Dubai-based interior archi- tecture firm specialising in residential and commercial projects, has unveiled its third concept health club in collaboration with the home- grown Dubai brand, Warehouse Gym. The SpringsWarehouseGym, whichwas shortlist- ed for the 2019 Dezeen Awards, emanates a cosmic vibe while also maintaining the underlying brutalist and underground fight-club aesthetic that drives the design concept across the various branches. “Dubai has become a very competitive market, with everyone striving to introduce projects that really stand out,” notes Rania Hamed, founder of VSHD Design. “From restaurants and bars to gyms and spas, Dubai’s international community is seeking hip, design-focused atmospheres that offer more than traditional spaces.” Building a brand With the SpringsWarehouse Gym, VSHD continues to build upon the brand’s successful openings in Brutalism and underground fight clubs were used as a point of reference for VSHD Design when designing this gym in Dubai

Dubai’s O14 and D3 districts, with the latter earn- ing the design firm a prestigious Frame Award in 2019 for 'Health Club of the Year'. While carrying core innovations of the brand forward, the Springs location is the client’s largest space to date, requir- ing greater design focus on zoning and positioning to ensure maximum functionality. Designed for serious workouts, the ‘under- ground’ feel of theWarehouse Gyms has positioned brutalist architecture at the core of VSHD’s design strategy. Marked by honest, unpretentious materi- als, the architectural style embraces a repetition of modular elements, including exposed concrete columns and beams. Using existing structural ele- ments, and building new ones, VSHD designed and strategically positioned raw stamped concrete walls, columns and beams to define distinct zones for different aspects of training, ensuring that each area would be conducive to the hard-working, com- mitted attitude of the brand’s clientele. Completing the structural design, the firm erected a coffered ceiling featuring artificial light wells that further emphasise the underground feel of the space. An evolution of light SpringsWarehouse Gym’s coffered ceiling conceals an elaborate network of advanced lighting technol-

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LiD Q2 - 2020