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Transforming a restaurant into a brand new fitness studio isn’t easy, but this is exactly the project WR Group NE took on for ARV Studio in Sunderland.
The former Chinese buffet has been completely stripped out and transformed into ARV’s new 7,500 sq ft home at Sunniside Social, bringing Run, Pilates, Box and Strength studios together with a recovery suite and café.
The new space follows ARV’s distinctive approach to fitness, with dark interiors, exposed finishes and colour-changing lighting used to create an environment that feels very different from a traditional gym.
WR Group NE acted as Principal Contractor, managing the project from the initial strip-out through to the completed fit-out, with Ultra LEDs lighting used throughout the finished space.
Lighting plays a major part in the look of ARV’s training spaces.
Tagra NTubes were installed directly onto exposed cable tray across three of the studios, creating visible runs of lighting against the black ceilings.
The NTube fittings provide colour-changing lighting controlled through an LED wall plate and decoder, allowing the lighting within the studios to change depending on how the spaces are being used.
Rather than hiding the lighting away, the exposed NTube installation becomes part of the finished look of each studio and works alongside ARV’s dark interiors.
Away from the main studios, Tagra Pro COB LED Strip was used for integrated lighting details throughout the project.
Pro COB was installed into plaster-in profile for the wall feature lighting, while further runs were recessed into areas throughout the studio to provide up and down mood lighting.
The result is a different approach to the exposed NTube used in the training spaces, with the COB integrated into the surrounding architecture for a more concealed finish.
Using both products allowed WR Group NE to adapt the lighting to the different areas of the new ARV Studio.
WR Group NE managed the complete transformation of the space, with works including the electrical installation, plumbing and heating, ventilation systems, fire alarm installation, bathroom cladding and tiling.
Ultra LEDs lighting now features across the finished studio, from colour-changing NTube across three training spaces to plastered-in and recessed Pro COB throughout other areas of the fit-out.
From an empty former restaurant to a completely new fitness destination, the finished project brings ARV’s distinctive look into its new 7,500 sq ft Sunderland studio.
ARV Studio is now open at Sunniside Social in Sunderland city centre.
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