Enhanced Exercise Experience


Virgin Active is the gym and health club arm of the Virgin brand. Their aim is to encourage everyone to become more active and enjoy using their world class facilities. With one of Virgin Active’s key messages ‘It’s not exercise. It’s an experience’ it was a fantastic opportunity to create dynamic spaces from the Reception areas through to the interactive gym and exercise class environments.

Virgin Active requested that lighting and sound work together to create the right interactive surroundings during a workout or class. The brief was to create individual lighting scenes to match the theme and the intensity of the different types of classes and workouts. Aurora was asked by Pro Electrical, in October 2017, to partner with them and Matthew Smith, National Projects Manager, took on the challenge to help to complete the project.

Alongside Pro Electrical the project completed with alternative packaging using Enlite, Custom Extrusion made in Australia and Aurora’s Phase Dimmable Eddi T1 track light, which was modified in Australia, with support from OAK Electronics. Most of this project required custom products due to controls being a mix of Dali and DMX, Run RGBW, RGB & Tuneable White. Our thanks also go to the teams at FDC Building and Wholesaler Go Electrical at Castle Hill for their support on this challenging design.

Matthew Smith says, ‘The proof of our combined success is in the images. Yes, obstacles arose but with the help from some key people involved in the project we always found a solution. Even on the last night before opening, I took my son to site and we both rewired drivers to get the project across the line.’

Each exercise class has its own configuration of light and sound that is pre-set and matches the intensity of the workout. The trainer simply selects the name of the class and the unique experience begins. This is the first gym of this kind in Australia to offer this new light and sound interactive experience. The huge success of this project means that this is now the benchmark for Virgin Active gyms across Australia.

Photo credits: Acero Training Series, FDC Building, Guy Wilkinson Photography. 

CLIENT: Virgin Active, Barangaroo | FDC Building | Pro Electrical

COMPLETION: April 2018