NRG GYMS – GLASGOW

Mezzanine Gym Fit-Out Planning, Design, and Technical Excellence

NRG Gyms St Rollox is a 26,000 sq ft first-floor mezzanine gym located above a Tesco Extra store, sharing both the building structure and the external car park. The unit was taken on as a shell space and required a comprehensive design and build solution, including planning permission for change of use, new external signage, and the construction of a dedicated external lift. All planning submissions and approvals were completed by our in-house team, enabling tight control over programme, cost, and coordination.

A full technical drawing package was developed to secure approval from Scottish Building Standards, reflecting the complexity of the site and its integration within a live retail environment below. Fire strategy was a critical element of the design, requiring the construction of new fire-rated walls to separate the gym from the Tesco store, create a shared fire escape strategy, and enclose the mezzanine edge that previously formed an open atrium. Existing travellators were removed to allow for self-contained, secure 24-hour access independent of the store below.

The installation of the new external lift represented a significant structural intervention. Once planning consent was granted, works included the construction of a new external lift shaft, creation of new structural openings into the building, and associated slab modifications to support the lift infrastructure. These works were carefully coordinated to maintain the integrity of the existing structure while delivering inclusive access to the gym.

Internally, all flooring throughout the facility was newly installed, including vinyl, tiled, and rubber finishes of varying thicknesses. Given the mezzanine location and the presence of other businesses below, acoustic performance was a key consideration. Heavy free-weight areas were designed with specialist underlay beneath the rubber flooring to absorb impact noise and vibration, ensuring compliance and minimising disturbance to the trading environment beneath.

The gym floor was configured to support high-capacity and specialist training. A three-lane prowler track and large functional rig zone were created to accommodate NRG X classes and the gym’s growing functional training offering. A dedicated squat area with twelve deadlift platforms on the main gym floor, plus two additional platforms within the female-only zone, ensures capacity for increasingly popular strength-based training. A comprehensive cable zone further supports training variety. The spin studio features immersive DMX pixel-controlled lighting synchronised to music, delivering a unique and dynamic experience for every class.

All building services were newly installed, including access control, lighting, small power, sound systems, and a fully integrated fire alarm system interfaced with Tesco as part of the shared building. Sprinkler systems were drained down and altered to suit the new layout. New reception areas, offices, custom lockers throughout the gym and changing rooms, and a bespoke Corian bottle-fill trough were also delivered. Internally and externally, new signage clearly branded the facility, with early installation of external signage contributing to record member numbers prior to opening.