Reebok Envisions Gas Stations Transforming Into Fitness Hubs

01/18/2018
CSNews

BOSTON — Reebok wants to apply what it is known for — fitness — and bring it to the gas station space. 

According to a blog post on its website, as Americans become less dependent on gas-powered vehicles and move toward electric vehicles, today’s gas stations can be repurposed to fuel consumers’ bodies instead of their cars.

Reebok teamed with global architecture and design firm Gensler on the new “Get Pumped” concept, reimagining gas stations across the United States as fitness hubs where consumers can prioritize their mental and physical wellness.

“Reebok believes that we’re always training to be our best,” said Austin Malleolo, head of Reebok fitness facilities. “This design work with Gensler allows us to imagine a future where there is zero barrier to entry for an opportunity to work out and be healthy. Consumers may not need gas stations anymore, but instead of wasting them, we’re recycling them, and maximizing the space so that they become places of community.”

The goal, according to Reebok, is a country where a gym and healthy restaurant are nearby. 

“We envision our cities of the future to have a network of fitness oases between home and work where you could stop and recharge more than just your car. Imagine an option to leave the traffic jam to unwind with yoga, get your Crossfit fix, or pick up a green juice and your weekly farm share all in one place,” said Alfred Byun, designer at Gensler.

The Get Pumped concept offers three forms:

The Network: Major interstate rest stops are positioned as the power grid of the future. Travelers can stop and generate energy through spinning and boxing, Crossfit, Les Mils, and a running trail. 

The Oasis: The larger gas station that commuters pass on small, local highways will be turned into recharge zones. The sites include real food offerings from a farm-to-table eatery to a juice bar, as well as yoga and meditation pods. They will also feature outside herb gardens.

The Community Center: The local, small town gas stations are transformed into four different ways for communities to enhance their healthy life: electric vehicle charging stations, nutrition classes, healthy food offerings, and pop-up trucks for Crossfit and spinning classes.

Gensler is a global architecture, design and planning firm with 44 locations and more than 5,000 professionals networked across Asia, Europe, Australia, the Middle East and the Americas.