Gymshark HQ
Award-winning Design and Build Company Oktra wanted to do one thing for their fitness apparel client, Gymshark – to create one of the best offices in the world. Gymshark wanted a collaborative space, with instagrammable moments and outstanding design, as well as a building that would accommodate their rapid growth and attract future talent.
The design team at Oktra collaborated with Gymshark to create one of the best offices in the world. The building was a recently refurbished space that Oktra stripped back. The whole design evolved throughout the build with a collective and relentless desire to continually mould the space to achieve the best outcome.
From amphitheatre bleachers to product testing rooms to a nutritionally controlled catering facility, Gymshark’s DNA is embedded in every element of the design. The space allows Gymshark to choose how, when and where they work by offering a range of working settings. Each area is designed for a different type of task and centres on enhancing wellbeing.
The building is the first office space in the UK with a Human Centric smart lighting system. The prime feature is a 30m wide concrete Gymshark logo in the courtyard area. It can be viewed on Google earth and acts as an additional outdoor seating area for the company. The new site also has on-site cinema, yoga studios and treatment rooms.
Gymshark is a fitness apparel & accessories brand, manufacturer and online retailer based in the United Kingdom, supported by over 7 million highly engaged social media followers and customers in 180 countries. Created in 2012 by teenager Ben Francis and a group of his high-school friends, Gymshark has grown from a screen printing operation in a garage to one of the fastest growing and most recognisable brands in fitness.
Gymshark HQ is a strong statement about the company’s future and reflects how the business is embracing its accelerating global demands, with the aim of operating 25 international online stores by 2020 expanding from its current 11. The new dynamic and collaborative working environment will help to build and maintain Gymshark’s infections culture that enables each person to perform to the best of their ability.
The project has recently been shortlisted in the 2018 SBID Awards in the category of Office Design. The SBID Awards has firmly established itself as arguably the most prestigious Interior Design Award event in the global design calendar. The awards recognise, reward and celebrate design excellence across a broad range of categories. Awards are evaluated by leading industry experts for their technical content and aesthetic creativity while the design-conscious public also has a say in choosing the most inspiring projects. The office design category is dedicated exclusively to office design with entries asked to reflect how the concept creates a pleasant, efficient workspace and meets the needs of both the client and the employees who work in the space.
The SBID award winners will be announced at a ceremony in one of London’s most iconic locations, the Ballroom at The Dorchester hotel in Mayfair on Friday 26th October 2018.
