An old industrial hall is turning into a fitness mecca: THE MIRAI is going to be the world’s first fitness center. The McFIT GLOBAL GROUP expects to open it in Oberhausen during 2020 – with a revolutionary concept without monthly membership fees, accessible to everybody. Koschany + Zimmer architects KZA develop the architectural concept for the construction project near the Centro shopping center.
Mirai is the Japanese word for future. It is precisely this requirement that the building will meet after its conversion. The plan is to create a fitness world that brings fitness enthusiasts, manufacturers and scientists together. Millions of poeple are meant to start moving, turning fitness into popular sports.
Fitness industry consolidated
THE MIRAI sees itself as a 365-day trade fair that unites all players in the fitness industry. This is where state-of-the-art presentation areas are created. They are constantly being redesigned and enable partners to exhibit their products all year round. In their design, the KZA team members elaborate how the idea can be realized in the halls with 20,000 square meters.
The architects are also planning two expansions of the existing buildings. In the future, the new reception building will be visible from afar: a 20-meter-high tower with open-plan levels that seem stacked. As the current draft provides, the tower is earmarked for changing rooms and training areas. They offer a good view of the surroundings and the gasometer. The top level serves as a media studio for the world’s first 24-hour fitness channel. An advertising space tops the tower-like building and lets the lettering „THE MIRAI“ shine above Oberhausen.
Transparent foyer serves as a showroom
A transparent foyer opens up between the tower and the existing hall. Here, a wide roof marks the main entrance. With a height of about nine meters, the hall is both a show room and a venue, with a separate entrance for special events. Interested parties can take a look into the main hall from a platform on the second floor.
The first contact point within the main hall is a circular center that extends over three levels. It can be reached via a prestigious promenade. This central gastronomic base revolves around the „Tree of Life“, which embodies sustainability and lifelong health. The skyrun hovers above everything: a 1,000-meter-long running track at a height of about eight meters.
First insights into the project THE MIRAI are available on the associated WEBSITE.
