Virgin Active Emquatier

Bangkok, Thailand

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Virgin Active Emquatier

Bangkok, Thailand

Firm

orbit design studio

Type

Hospitality + Sport › Wellness/Spa Sports Center

STATUS

Built

YEAR

2015

SIZE

3000 sqft - 5000 sqft

BUDGET

$5M - 10M

Virgin Active EmQuartier is the second club designed by Orbit in Thailand. EmQuartier is a brand new, highly innovative retail and office complex in one of Bangkok’s favorite commercial and residential areas. The design continues to expand on the Virgin mantra “Live Happily Ever Active” so there is continuity of theme but a change in expression.
The forms and tempo of the city became the palette from which we developed the design language. Lines form the primary motif, representing the changing rhythms of the city, sometimes dense and busy, other times more relaxed. Every city has varying levels of activity; just as the club it does, going from the intensity of high energy areas to the calm of the mind and body studio. Here the lines morph and converge into a steady pulse.
The secondary motif is the square, which represents the windows into the life of the city. Much like the city, we have played with the scale and form of the squares. On entry, the red glazed windows offer a glimpse into the club while the overlay of the cuboid climbing wall and much smaller city block squares paints a portrait of the city that never sleeps.
Throughout the club, the visual pace shifts and changes in activity; signature blocks of red punctuate the spaces, referencing the brand and maintaining the energy. Internal cohesion is retained by the internal staircase that punctures all three floors, bringing visibility and a direct connection.