Conversion of a disused underground cinema into a unique urban gym.

The Lumiere, a once-famous basement cinema in Covent Garden, has been redeveloped into a new Gymbox fitness club. The design pays homage to the building’s cinematic past, while incorporating all the facilities necessary for a modern gym.

The former cinema auditorium creates a unique double-height space. Eckersley O’Callaghan provided engineering services for several geometrically complex structural insertions, such as changing room blocks stacked on top of each other at opposing angles, and a series of floors for the latest exercise equipment, which cascade down the auditorium, with a DJ booth cantilevering off at one level. Lightweight industrial walkways pass through the space at height.

A glass-fronted dance studio, which has been suspended from the ceiling in place of the original cinema screen, spans 10 metres and is supported by steel plate hangers from the plate girder above. This structure required careful analysis to ensure its predicted dynamic behavior under cyclic dance-induced loading was acceptable.

Location 
London, UK

Client 
Gymbox

Architect 
Ben Kelly Design