Parking Gym

The track itself is a one-mile continuous loop, designed to support a variety of activities including running, jogging, skating, and biking, along with flat areas that accommodate sports such as basketball, volleyball, squash, futsal, and even dancing. This arrangement promotes natural body movement and fosters a sense of community through shared physical activity. Each floor of the gym is designed with its own distinct personality, offering a variety of experiences. Resting areas, or “cones,” are strategically placed at landings along the ramp, with upper floors providing larger spaces to accommodate the increased need for breaks. The spatial organization is further enhanced by the off-axis orientation of the twin volumes, which maximizes corner spaces and extends the ramps to create longer, intertwined loops that stack across multiple floors.

The design of the gym is shaped by two intertwined loops: a ramped parking floor and a workout track. The parking area accommodates 120 stalls, all situated on a 3-degree slope that follows the ramping system. Unconventionally, parking is not a separate entity from the building but is instead integrated into the gym’s programmatic spaces, interweaving with the track rather than existing side by side or stacked. This configuration creates a spatial relationship where the parking and track cohabit within the same structure, yet remain entirely divorced in terms of function and circulation, offering a unique fusion of uses.

In section, the design incorporates several key strategies to enhance spatial experience. At the center of the building is a multi-story transparent dance floor, visible from both the track and the parking areas, creating a dynamic connection between different activities. Rotated floor plans generate balconies that host open workout spaces, yoga areas, and sports fields. Topographical shifts in the track and strategic roof separations further define the building’s sectional complexity. The entire structure is lifted to open up the ground floor, creating a large entry and lobby space that connects previously narrow alleyways into a unified, open area. Circulation within the gym is primarily facilitated by two egress stairs and elevators, but the track also serves as an indirect circulation path, linking all of the gym’s programs together.

The twins share a common envelope that features three distinct skin conditions. A perforated metal screen wraps around both the parking and the track, while gym spaces that require enclosure are clad in a tightly gridded window system. A loose, translucent spider glass screen overlays these windows and open areas, providing a cohesive yet layered exterior. Despite the complexity of the envelope system, the building’s exterior appears simple, defined by the interplay between the perforated metal skin and the translucent glass. Porosity plays a critical role in the design, allowing visibility from the outside to create curiosity about the mixed movement of cars and people, while also framing views of downtown Los Angeles and bringing fresh air and natural light into the building.