The Brick Circus: fitness can be playful too
The red curtain opens, the gym unfolds. Welcome to The Brick Circus, where working out goes hand in hand with quirky design en female friendly entertainment.
Build a better you, that’s The Brick’s tagline as a stylish gym concept in Antwerp. Starting today, you can work on yourself while enjoying a view of a neon pink Ferrari Testarossa from 1991. The female friendly decor and open plan lounge space gives The Brick’s new venue a high entertainment level.
CIRCUS
The raw bricks that are so typically The Brick, you can now also find in its third venue. The pink details make the space a lot quirkier than your average gym. The circus concept refers to the building’s history. “There used to be horse stables from Hippodroom in Antwerp here”, tells The Brick Circus coach, Roy Vermeulen. The design, furnished by Studio Segers, has a certain entertainment level. “We got assigned the challenge to create a fresh and female friendly design. The changing rooms have pink details, the pillows in the boxing ring are pink as well and the cherry on top is the pink Ferrari Testarossa”, tells Chris Liesenborghs from Studio Segers. Other noticeable design elements are the bent lantern pole and the dressing room mirrors, which are both from Seletti.
SHOWPIECE
“Our clientele is 60% female and they love group classes”, tell coach Roy Vermeulen. As the group classes in The Brick’s first venue near De Waalse Kaai were getting fully booked, we are making it Circus’s primary focus. “Back in the day you had classics like BBB, where you had to set up and put back the equipment yourself. Now we’re doing group classes 2.0, inspired by Barry’s bootcamp and One Rebel UK, where we use the equipment that’s in the gym already”, tells Vermeulen. His showpiece is the Circus class. “A combination of endurance and weight training where we anticipate the demand”. Of course you can also use the gym equipment on your own when there’s a group class on.
EQUIPMENT
Premium gym brand Technogym provided most of the equipment. One of which is the SKILLMILL, a treadmill that doesn’t operate automatically but works on your own bodyweight. The resistance is higher making it more efficient as a workout. The Brick Circus also promotes the Technogym Bench, a compact weight bench that has tools such as resistance bands, an exercise mat and different weights integrated into the design.”It’s a compact, but incredibly versatile bench”, tells Vermeulen. “A lady who comes to a group class for the first time, can use a 2,5kg weight. A trained man, can take up to 10kg. Everyone can work out at their own pace and level with this bench.”
TYPING AND SIPPING COFFEE
Those who want to take a well deserved break, or quickly want to do some emails, can walk up the stairs to the Mezzanine. You can have a chat with other gym members, open up your laptop at the co-working tables or create a moment for yourself at the self service bar with some Illy coffee, tea, filtered water and fresh fruit.
With its third location, The Brick has created a concept where you feel welcome and get motivated to become the best version of yourself. All of that in a surrounding with a quirky design, delicious drinks, the latest group classes and top notch gym equipment. You enter The Brick Circus full of expectations and leave feeling fulfilled.
