BXR Gym London - designed by Bergman Design House

What makes a  boxing gym stand out?

What makes a workout stand out?

Why do you feel excited?

Why do you keep coming back?

Let’s talk about it! Have you been wondering what makes a workout really stand out, especially when you go to a boxing club? Why sometimes you feel excited, happy and full of energy, whereas other times you arrive at the place and you dread the whole process?!

Many things can cause these feelings to come and go. Starting from the experience of the space - Is it clean? Do you like the design (trust us, it is important), the types of workout or to go even further....The instructors? All of these factors make a huge difference whether you are coming back to a place or not. Or if you even choose to go there in the first place.

Now we would like to answer these questions for you through our lens. As designers and also lovers of exercise we couldn’t miss out on this opportunity, and here is why:

We have had the great pleasure to team up with BXR in London and create the ultimate boxing club, that has won numerous awards and has been published in prestigious magazines, such as Vogue, GQ or Forbes. Through our experience working on London’s finest boxing club we would like to invite you to learn a little more about how going to a boxing gym can become a different experience and how intentional interior design helps make workouts better.

Why is BXR called London’s finest boxing club?

BXR Gym London - designed by Bergman Design House

We will not lie - we are really proud of this space as we have had the great pleasure of working with professionals, such as the BXR Team, heavyweight boxing champion Anthony Joshua and of course - our incredible team at Bergman. Our mutual love and excitement for a gym that is elevated in style and identity has made it possible to create BXR.

The space is separated into two floors - one of them is all about your full boxing experience - a ring, strength and condition training to make sure you can deliver your strongest punch. But you could still ask: Alright, so how is this any different? When we were designing this space, we wanted to give you a raw, yet elevated workout space. Large, open and as motivating as possible.

With that in mind, we knew it cannot be too clean, otherwise you will not want to do the dirty work. But also, if the goal is to create a boxing club that is extravagant and motivating, we had to go all out. Luckily, our partners were with us and we could deliver a design which we loved working on! To continue on that note, we also wanted something that looked like a place, where you feel comfortable sweating, but also looks high-end. Not the easiest combination, but we love a challenge!

So we took a step back and thought about what makes a boxing club special? What makes a gym special? Why do people keep going to the same place? And then we had our ideas. We were lucky already, because BXR has brought one of the best boxing trainers, one could find - former pro boxer Gary Logan.

If you want to learn how to deliver a professional punch, trust us: he will get you there. We have matched his talent with an interior that represents strength and dedication. We have used a lot of concrete, dark colors, exposed ceiling for a more industrial look and topped it with a bespoke artwork by Ben Slow of Muhammad Ali.

Dedication, professional trainers and motivating space = success.

But how about this boxing gym’s other floor? 

BXR Gym London - designed by Bergman Design House

Well, that’s the member’s floor which trust us - you don’t want to miss either! After a super strong workout, we all need a space to unwind and enjoy a post workout smoothie, a sauna, or a good steam to mention a few. This was the part where we could absolutely shine.

While BXR has provided us with the greatest trainers and workouts to make sure you will love working on your fitness here, we wanted to make sure you will want to stay a little longer as well, because - We all need a little reward after we use maximum effort in a boxing club, right? So we made sure that the Member’s Club feels elite, elevated and as posh as one can imagine.

BXR Gym London - designed by Bergman Design House

BXR Gym London - designed by Bergman Design House

We wanted to give everyone the experience of an elegant and sometimes ethereal relaxing experience. The steam room with its grey and white color story gives the impression of a space that may have come from another planet as it is definitely not your usual green-blue steam room. We definitely wanted to break tradition with the colors and design elements we used to make an industrial space feel like a high-end residential Members Club.

The changing rooms were definitely the spaces, where we could bring this experience to you. We have created sophisticated, yet heavy concepts for both male and female spaces.

Female Changing Room:

BXR Gym London - designed by Bergman Design House

A soft, muted design, which is giving you absolute feminine vibes without being too much. We wanted to make sure to embrace softness, yet create a space that still resembles a gym, but gives you a spa-like experience. We have used different types of hanging mirrors above the vanities, as well as free-standing sinks and our favourite a mixture of marble and timber.

The light toned timber on the floors, lockers and vanities were challenging, as we need to make sure they are treated properly, so they will stand the test of time. However, a room only with wooden elements would have appeared a little dull, so we added marble accent walls behind the mirrors. The change in tone is really subtle, yet having a different finish and overall look gives the space dimension and depth.

As we have given you a peak above how the Male Changing Room is designed, let us take you to the yin to our yang.

Male Changing Room:

BXR Gym London - designed by Bergman Design House

The male changing room has a bold, graphite-black color scheme throughout the space. While the finishing is soft to keep the space’s elevated look, we have used raw materials, such as concrete, marble and wood. The mixture of these three natural elements have created a space that may shock you at first (Would you expect a black changing room?) and then take you to a different mindset.

Our aim here was also to give a sense of relaxation, while keeping the overall purpose of this space, which is none other than your well-being. We firmly believe that design can help you feel certain ways and we wanted even the changing rooms to speak to our guests and to make them feel that they are living their best lives, when entering BXR, from start to finish.

With that in mind, we also used hanging mirrors with leather framing and handles (an element we found quite daring) and concrete sinks to add some rawness to the space.

So what makes people want to stick to their gyms or a boxing club? Let’s summarize it.

Conclusion:

Taken our questions from the very beginning which were:

What makes a workout stand out?

What makes a gym stand out?

Why do you feel excited?

Why do you keep coming back?

And looking at them, we have arrived at the conclusion that it’s a variety of things. It depends on your preference above all, but what service providers and designers can do for you is to give you a space, where:

You enjoy the overall energy of the gym (a boxing club in our case), you love the workout, you have a great connection with the trainers and you eventually get the type of workout you are looking for.

...And if you are a design lover (who may even like to work out too) and a place like this hasn’t been on your wishlist so far, then what are you waiting for? Surprise yourself and/or your loved ones for Christmas with a posh boxing class in the heart of London. I bet they would love to punch off all the Christmas pudding!

On top of that, given the fact that our lives have changed tremendously the past two years, wellness has become more important and taken on a different meaning. It has become more than a word you use, when you are going to have a weekend getaway, it has become a lifestyle. With BXR we are hoping that we can contribute to this journey of yours and help you embark on a journey that feels right to you.

And if you are wondering, where you can find out all about our upcoming projects, current and finished ones, don’t hesitate to check out our Instagram and Pinterest page, where we continuously share our work with lots of sneak peek images and videos! We hope to connect with you there as well!

If you are specifically curious about BXR, head to their website or their Instagram page to learn more about their current and upcoming workout schedules, so you can become your strongest self! Thank you for your time and don’t forget to leave us a comment, if you have enjoyed the article!