Stars Gym is an independently-owned fitness facility in Battersea, London. Offering an extensive array of exercise equipment and a variety of classes including martial arts, it is a popular place to work out.

Having opened in 2011, the gym was starting to show signs of its age. The owners decided to embark on a refresh for the gym, including a rearrangement of the internal areas, as well as changing the décor, updating the lighting and upgrading the flooring. The external graphics were also replaced.
Architecture and planning specialists Antarchitecture were appointed to deliver the redesign of the gym. One key issue they faced was the poor lighting installed in the space. With the exception of a few retrofitted colour change LED strips, the lighting scheme combined fluorescent lights and metal halide lamps.

In some areas of the gym, the lights had failed, and due to the high ceilings in the space access was challenging and therefore the lights had been unreplaced. This left different areas of the gym underlit and gloomy. In other areas, the lights were too garish and bright, so they had simply been turned off.
Having worked on numerous gym projects previously, Antarchitecture understood the importance of lighting in a fitness facility. Lighting aids energy levels and emotions, from high-impact to cool-down, so this is a key element in a successful workout.

Antarchitecture removed all of the existing lighting to create a blank canvas for an improved, and effective lighting scheme. The first important element was to use 100% LED lighting, which has a number of benefits including the use of less energy.

To fulfil the requirements of the new and improved lighting scheme, Antarchitecture partnered with architectural lighting specialist Optelma. Optelma were able to supply everything needed across the whole space, including the manufacture and delivery of a number of bespoke solutions where required.

A wide variety of solutions from the Optelma range can now be found in Stars Gym. These include pendants, Cove and Firo mini profiles, an array of track and spots, Flute downlights and Quad 46 linear system. While pendants are not usually found in a gym, Antarchitecture have used the Optelma pendants to make the reception area more friendly and inviting.

The entrance to the gym has an impressive mirror tiled walkway, but this had previously been badly lit. Using Optelma’s solutions, the area now boasts archways of light, which makes the entrance much more of a feature. In addition, it acts as a draw into the gym and creates a point of interest. This is particularly beneficial as the external signage is fairly limited and the previous gym lighting did not have any visibility from the outside, particularly during the day.

Two large circular fittings, one over the boxing ring and one over the cardio area to mirror this, have been used. This was ideal as Antarchitecture did not want to use lots of light fittings, so the large circular solution offers the right light levels. The double-height ceiling also makes maintenance difficult, and the lower hanging circular light was much easier to access.

Elsewhere in the studio, the lights have been greatly improved. The old colour-change fluorescent fittings have been replaced with more aesthetically-pleasing linear fittings, which are also cost-effective. The colour temperatures are also now more considered, with a warmer light rather than a bright white light, which is more synonymous with more-budget, chain gyms.

Tony Sayers, Director of Antarchitecture, said: “We’ve been partnering with Optelma for nearly 20 years now and I am always impressed with their work. It is such a benefit that they offer ready-made and bespoke solutions, and when something unique is required, it can be tweaked quickly and cost-effectively. As they manufacture in-house, the long lead times are removed which is a huge bonus.
“The budget for Stars Gym was not significant, so we needed a partner that we knew we could rely on. Working with Optelma you can be confident that you won’t waste money on light fittings. The Optelma solutions have delivered everything we needed and more for this project, and they look much more high-end than the budget actually allowed for.”

Graham Watkinson from Optelma added: “We were thrilled to be asked to be part of the Stars Gym refurbishment programme alongside Antarchitecture. The project was interesting as it needed an entirely new approach to the existing lighting scheme, which was underwhelming and not fit for purpose.

“As we have an extensive product portfolio and we are able to create bespoke designs with a fast turnaround, Optelma were able to deliver everything required for this project.”

The wider project team consisted of Woodford Interiors contractors, and SAH Electrical.
Additional, subtle updates add a touch of class, such as the vinyl plank floor laid in a herringbone pattern, which is a cost-effective yet attractive solution. The gym walls are also now a lot darker, making the space more theatrical, particularly when compared to the previous off-white and grey colour scheme.

The significant improvements to the décor, and in particular the lighting, have shaken off the previous ‘budget’ feel and replaced it with a more boutique and sophisticated environment.

Project credits:
Architecture and planning: Antarchitecture
Client: Stars Gym
Contractors: Woodford Interiors
Electrical Contractors: SAH Electrical
Photography: Stars Gym