A curved and colored PVC strip curtain to structure the space

Project details

Location: Tokyo, Japan

Project: Unlike ordinary gyms, the programmatic concept of the “cell” gym, located in Tokyo, is a professional personal training center that approaches training at the cellular level, hence the name. The gym offers not only physical training, but also nutritional counseling, hydrogen inhalation and houses blood collection equipment. Architect Arii Irie was commissioned to structure the space in an innovative way with a curved curtain with colored PVC strips.

Credits

Architect: arii irie architects / atsuo arii, kako irie, tatsuaki komuro, yasuyuki sato

Photographer: toshiyuki udagawa

Project page

PVC curved slat curtain yellow sport — A colored PVC strip curtain to structure the space;

There was a need to create a space where health was taken seriously and training was a solid contributor to a positive outcome. Arii irie architects designed a curved curtain with orange PVC strips as a threshold between everyday life and training. The bright color of the stripes emphasizes the contrast between the two worlds, while the action of passing through inspires awareness of the transition to a different phase.

On the other hand, the fact that one can enter and exit from any location gives the two spaces a sense of unity. The training area is designed as a bare space, free of the “dressed up” daily life, with its finishes completely stripped down. it’s a space where you can face your naked body in a raw atmosphere and focus on training.

The result by Arii Irie architects is a dual space with two different characters, yet held together by the orange PVC strip curtain. The translucent quality of the elements allows light to pass from one side to the other, and even guides people as they move through the space. The curved curtain creates a dynamic interior that matches the energizing atmosphere of the gym.