More Than Its Purpose – Shorts Place Gym by Joyce Architects

At the mention of a gym, one might conjure images of a pragmatic, formulaic aesthetic – a run-of-the-mill building, a place that serves a purpose. Shorts Place Gym by Joyce Architects shatters this assumption with a sleek and shiny architecture that is as intriguing as it is functional.

Situated in central Geelong, the building – with its rear lane access and its obvious placement on the street – required a renewed identity. Joyce Architects has driven this renewal with a metal mesh facade. Inspired by the concept of a lantern, the translucent mesh allows passers-by a peek at the gym’s interior.

Inspired by the concept of a lantern, the translucent mesh allows passers-by a peek at the gym’s interior.

The gym is a 24-hour operation. Warm lighting extends the lantern metaphor emanating from the mesh after dark, setting the building aglow and declaring the laneway inviting rather than menacing in the darkness. The genius of the mesh is that this is all done without sacrificing the singularity of the new external character of the building – character that enhances its gritty urban surrounds without looking awkwardly overdressed or out of place.

A spacey and similarly glowing-when-lit tunnel, clad inside and out in linished stainless steel, interrupts the mesh at ground level. This entryway reflects light, brightly guiding visitors in to the building and upwards to the gym; much like the entire building, the tunnel is a testament to intentional architecture that feels inviting and intuitive.