A sports club is judged long before the first training session. It is judged on arrival, by the lighting in the entrance hall, by how members move about, and by whether the changing rooms reduce or increase friction. Designing a sports club is not simply a matter of arranging a collection of rooms. It is about creating a coherent, functional and recognisable experience from the very first step.

That is where many projects fall short. They invest in equipment, image or floor space, but fail to fully address how the space is actually used on a day-to-day basis. And in a club, actual use is everything. There are moments of high intensity, repetitive routes, different user profiles and a constant need to strike a balance between performance, comfort and maintenance.

What defines good sports club design

A good club is not perceived as a collection of separate parts. It functions as a system. Access, reception, security, training, recovery, socialising and technical support must all work together. When this happens, the space feels more intuitive, more comfortable and, often, more valuable than its actual square metres would suggest.

The key lies in understanding that a sports club is not just a venue for physical activity. It also manages waiting times, how long people stay, privacy, noise, humidity, cleanliness and brand image. A member may be able to overlook a smaller training room. What they rarely forgive, however, is a confusing or uncomfortable experience.

This is particularly evident in comprehensive refurbishment projects. Sometimes the problem isn’t a lack of floor space, but an outdated layout that no longer suits the club’s current model. Poorly connected areas, a reception area that’s out of sight, oversized changing rooms alongside underused facilities. Redesigning isn’t simply about better decoration. It’s about reordering spatial priorities.

Design based on use, not on the floor plan

The most common mistake in sports club design is to start with the image. Visual identity matters, of course, but it comes after a more important decision: how the space functions at peak times, during off-peak periods and in scenarios of growth.

A club may focus on personal training, group classes, padel, wellness or a hybrid model with a strong social component. Each requires different spatial relationships. It makes no sense to replicate standard solutions when the business proposition is specific.

The entrance sets the tone

The entrance must address three things at once: access, control and first impressions. If a reception area looks makeshift, if it forces members to make unnecessary detours, or if it does not offer an immediate sense of the space, the club starts off lacking clarity. Conversely, when the entrance is well designed, it conveys order and positioning without the need for excessive formality.

In premium clubs, the reception area should not feel like an administrative filter. It should function as a seamless transition between the city and the club’s own atmosphere. Materials, acoustics, lighting and visibility are just as influential as the reception desk itself.

Circulation is design, not filler

Corridors are not an afterthought. They are part of the design. In a sports club, circulation affects comfort, safety and the perception of quality. A clear route reduces friction. An ambiguous one leads to interruptions, queries and disorder.

This is critical when multiple functions coexist. A user attending a functional training session should not interfere with those accessing treatment rooms or a relaxation area. Separating different paces and levels of intensity improves the overall experience without the need to increase floor space.

Areas that require more precision than meets the eye

There are areas that are often underestimated during the conceptual phase but which subsequently shape the entire running of the club. They are not necessarily the most eye-catching, but they are the ones that have the greatest impact on day-to-day use.

Well-designed changing rooms

Changing rooms remain one of the key indicators of perceived quality. Not because of luxury, but because of spatial logic. They must offer privacy without feeling cramped, durability without visual harshness, and cleanliness without a clinical aesthetic.

Layout matters more than the number of features. Poorly positioned benches, lockers blocking walkways or showers without sufficient separation turn an essential area into a source of friction. Conversely, when the space is well-proportioned and the materials are suited to intensive use, the club gains consistency.

Activity studios with their own identity

Not all studios should look the same. A cycling studio, a yoga studio and a functional training studio each call for distinct atmospheres, in terms of lighting, acoustics, ventilation and the feel of the materials. Excessive standardisation may simplify the construction work, but it impoverishes the experience.

That doesn’t mean turning every space into a themed setting. It means tailoring each room to its intended use. Greater concentration, more energy, greater calm or greater technical control, as the case may be. The club’s identity should be present, but it must not take precedence over function.

Social areas that are actually used

Many clubs want to incorporate a social dimension, but not all manage to do so effectively. A café, a lounge or a small waiting area only work if they are well integrated into the club’s flow. If they are isolated or disrupt operations, they end up being merely attractive but underused spaces.

When designed thoughtfully, these areas encourage people to stay longer and strengthen the sense of community. There’s no need to make them oversized. What’s needed is an understanding of who uses them, when and for what purpose.

Materials, lighting and maintenance: aesthetics cannot stand alone

In a sports club, the design must withstand wear and tear. This seems obvious, but it isn’t always taken into account in the design process. There are finishes that look great in renderings but fare very poorly when exposed to sweat, constant cleaning, impacts or heavy footfall.

Choosing suitable materials does not mean sacrificing a sophisticated look. It means knowing where a warm feel is appropriate, where technical durability is required, and where visual continuity helps to organise the space. The best aesthetic in this context is one that ages with dignity.

Lighting also requires precision. It is not enough simply to provide plenty of light; the light must be well-designed. In strength training or cardio areas, active, uniform and controlled lighting is desirable. In changing rooms or wellness areas, the atmosphere should feel more serene. And in the reception area, the lighting must complement the architectural design, not overwhelm it.

Acoustics often comes up late in the discussion, when a problem has already arisen. However, it is just as much a part of comfort as visual design. Ceilings, cladding and proportions can reduce reverberation, contain noise between areas and improve the coexistence of different functions.

Spatial efficiency and brand positioning

The design of a sports club is also a business decision. A well-thought-out project enables better operations, reduces points of conflict and makes every square metre more profitable. Not through a logic of maximum density, but through a logic of efficient use.

Sometimes it makes sense to downsize an underused area to create a more flexible space. Or to rethink an overly large reception area to improve changing rooms and circulation. Or to introduce multi-purpose spaces that allow the offering to be adapted over time. There is no one-size-fits-all answer. It depends on the club’s model, its clientele and its commercial ambition.

The brand, for its part, is not built solely on a logo or a colour palette. It is built on spatial consistency. A high-performance club should not feel the same as one focused on wellbeing and social life. The design must express that difference naturally, without overdoing it.

In Barcelona, where meticulously curated offerings in hospitality, catering and retail coexist, users have increasingly refined visual standards. This also raises expectations for sports venues. The club no longer competes solely with other clubs. It competes with a broader culture of experience, design and service.

Refurbishment or new build: change the strategy

In a new-build project, the greatest value lies in clearly defining the structure of relationships from the outset. This allows for greater freedom in optimising facilities, circulation routes and spatial hierarchies. But that freedom demands very clear decisions at an early stage.

In a refurbishment, the challenge is different. You need to properly assess the site’s potential, identifying what is worth retaining and what truly limits the project. Sometimes, a clever intervention in layout, materials and lighting can completely transform the perception of the club without the need to rebuild everything from scratch.

That balance between ambition and precision is key. A sports club does not need gratuitous flourishes. It needs spaces that are well thought out, well executed and aligned with the actual way in which it will be used. That has always been the most valuable criterion in bespoke projects: designing for a specific client, in a specific context, with a specific operation in mind.

When the space complements the activity, the experience improves almost imperceptibly. The user enters, understands, moves about, trains and returns. And that sense of naturalness, in architecture, is usually a sign that the project has been well executed.