“The first main characteristic of play: that it is free, is in fact freedom. A second characteristic is that play is not ‘ordinary’ or ‘real’ life. It is rather a stepping out of ‘real’ life into a temporary sphere of activity with a disposition all of its own.” －Johan Huizinga, Homo Ludens

Socialisation through motor activities is not a new concept. However, in our new pandemic era, there’s an increasing demand for different physical activities as everyone develops their own concept of health and wellness. BeInfinity is a platform bringing together professional sports, fitness training and recreational gathering under one roof. At its Wuhan flagship, Lukstudio experiments with colours and geometry to create a social club fitting all types of motivation.

The project is located on the top floor of a shopping mall right downtown of Hankou, Wuhan. The original 2,400-sqm venue is a 7.5m-high hall with a public area at its entrance. With a new mezzanine installed, the destination provides 3,500 sqm of indoor activities with breakout spaces such as an entrance cafe. Juxtaposing different activities into a visual unity requires detailed data collection from spatial planning to materiality. Apart from understanding the specific constraints, requirements and common problems of each function, the design team also conducted endless research on finishes and fixtures to ensure user-friendly acoustics and lighting. Their aim was to elevate the often - homogenous workout space into a memorable destination.

The key design solutions included the following:

Colour

- Drawing inspiration from the video game Tetris and the psychology of colour, each activity area is designed as a “dopamine block” that sets a certain mood. For example, red signifies strength and excitement, so it is paired with the energetic equipment gym; blue is soothing and help us focus, an ideal backdrop for the air rifle and baseball batting; yellow brings us joy and vitality and it is applied to the playful area of snook ball, volleyball and ping-pong. Apart from evoking emotions and inspiring reactions, the visual approach also helps with wayfinding, giving clear navigation guidance to visitors.

Contrast

- Complementing the colourful spaces, the atrium and breakout areas are lined in neutral gray and wooden tones to exude a relaxed atmosphere. Combining rock-climbing, basketball and boxing, the high-ceiling space is also equipped with a central stage and a 15.5m x 6.5m LED screen for group classes or game broadcast. Echoing the circles in a basketball court which are often used to reset a game, the two semi-circular balconies stick out as “blanks” for observation or pause among surrounding actions.

Details

- Besides colouring the “dopamine blocks'', the design also employs graphic patterns to express a sense of vitality. The gradient metal ceiling grid changes density according to activity level; the wood wool panels divided into pixels draw arrows or graphs on walls; the same progressive form recurs in the staircase design.

The entrance café continues the graphics of dynamic order, both visible in the ceiling light grid and the flooring graphics extrapolated from the sports field. More sports elements are integrated in the furniture design: green sofa garnished in red stitches mimicking those in a baseball, table legs simulating the weight found in strength equipment; wooden stool takes on the appearance of the jumping box.

A cross between sports and entertainment and a bridge between different ages and interests, BeInfinity is a platform that takes into account diversified individual needs of training, playing, decompressing and even online content-sharing. Adopting a clear geometric order with bold use of colours and friendly materiality, Lukstudio has created a playful escape, inviting every visitor to be in touch with their energetic and creative self while enjoying the beauty of sportsmanship.