Mastery of materials, detailing and moods” is how one judge lauded Chicago’s Midtown Athletic Club, and others shared equal respect for the expansion’s design execution.
Facilities of Merit winners were selected in July by a panel of seven architects at the conclusion of two days of deliberations at AB Media headquarters in Madison, Wis. Next month, the architects, consultants and facility owners behind each winning project will be honored at a reception at the Athletic Business Conference & Expo in Orlando.
Thanks to all 54 entrants for helping ensure the program’s high level of competition, and congratulations to the 2019 Facilities of Merit. — The Editors
Interior finishes were described as “immaculate” and “impeccable,” with the resulting environment feeling more like an escape than an exercise destination. From a dramatically lit boxing gym to a yoga studio penetrated by sculptural tree forms, the club offers an array of boutique studios, as well as a spa, a restaurant and retail space. An adjacent 55-room hotel towers over the club, creating a progressive hybrid of fitness, entertainment and relaxation.
“This is top to bottom a powerful example of sport and recreation,” stated one panelist. “Living up to its billing as a top-tier sports resort, the project presents space after space of engagingly designed environments.”
