When Scotland's five-star Gleneagles Hotel set out to design a fitness center to appeal to the next generation of guests, the designers weren't looking to the future. Instead, they turned to the past, specifically a photo of Slim Aarons titled “Tennis in the Bahamas, 1957.” As a result, Gleneagles Sports Club was born. This is a retro luxury sports facility with ample courts, stables and courtside lounge space.
Inspired by the iconic tennis and sports clubs of the late 1800s to mid-1900s, Gleneagles Sports Club combines different aspects of membership in a space that was as much a place for socializing as it was for exercise. is part of a new wave of fitness centers. The club and gymnasium are under one roof.
Tapping into country club nostalgia and Ivy League-coded preppyness, these athletic spaces are a significant departure from the sophisticated aesthetics pioneered by fitness chains like Equinox.
For some, the change is as subtle as a change in font or a new product. Last month, low-cost gym chain Blink Fitness released a line of sweatshirts with 1980s-style letters and the word “club” added to the end of the name. Others go further, building entire brands aimed at evoking vintage vibes and investing in period equipment.
“I wanted to capture the spirit of old gymnasiums because I loved the type of equipment that was there and the focus on the actual design and how complex it was,” says Maker Gymnasium. says Lev Glazman, co-founder of. 2,700 square foot gym attached to Maker Hotel in Hudson, New York
The gym opened in 2020 with a cork checkered floor and European gym equipment from the 1920s and 30s, including an Austrian pommel horse and a circus ring.
“Bringing historical elements into a space and having an element of curiosity there makes the experience better,” he said. “Every customer who comes to the gym says, 'It feels like I'm in a different place.'”
The more recent past is a source of inspiration for other sports club owners, with movies like “Challengers'' and “King Richard'' sparking renewed interest in tennis and other racquet sports.
“We wanted Reserve to be a simple, elegant, luxurious club that would be the foundation for the growth of padel in the United States,” said Wayne Boich, founder of Reserve Padel. He mentioned the racquet sports he played and said: Taking off in New York City.
A former college tennis player, he looked to the traditions of racquet sports and his childhood tennis club in the 1980s to form the spirit of his venture.
“The Reserve Green is a bit of a homage to the look and feel of Wimbledon,” he said.
This trend extends beyond the East Coast. Nashville's Forza Pilates Athletic Co. offers heritage-inspired products in heraldry, green and navy blue.
“My branding inspiration came from country clubs, tennis clubs, and racquet clubs,” says Forza founder Sidney Damler. “For me, it felt more timeless than leaning into the aesthetic of Pilates, which tends to be more minimalist.” She's also tired of the “industrial vibe.” he added.
Emily Oberg, founder of the brand Sporty & Rich, was an early proponent of this aesthetic revival. In 2014, she started her Instagram account, curating an ambitious moodboard of vintage sports and style images. It has since grown to include a print magazine and a multi-million dollar lifestyle and clothing brand with a flagship store in SoHo.
“The brand is deeply rooted in the aesthetic of country clubs and ’80s sports clubs and gyms,” said Oberg, who credits the New York Health and Racquet Club, founded in 1973, as the inspiration for her logo. I pointed it out.
She said the nostalgia embraced by Sporty & Rich seems to be about more than just interior design.
“Over the past 15 to 20 years, gyms have become more focused solely on the fitness aspect, rather than the cultural or social aspects they used to have,” she said. “I think there’s a certain culture around them that we’ve lost.”
It is that culture and sense of belonging that this new sports club hopes to recreate.
“With increasing awareness of the loneliness epidemic, especially as we emerge from the pandemic, there is certainly an emphasis on socializing and uniting with other people in concrete and real ways,” says Natalia, Professor of History Professor Melman Petruzella said. He is a professor at the New School and author of “Fit Nation: The Gains and Pains of America's Exercise Obsession.”
Padel Reserve has made some progress in creating more social space, Boich said. “People want to come here and hang out,” he added.
The current generation of sports clubs is far from cheap. Forza monthly memberships range from $140 to $440 per month, Maker Gymnasium monthly memberships start at $140, and Hudson Yards Reserve memberships start at $500. But some are looking to break away from the members-only exclusivity that was once the norm with drop-in options and open camps.
“The democratization of the luxury experience is something we've been seeing in the consumer market for decades,” said Melman Petruzzella. “Uber gives you your own personal driver. Now you can join a country club without having to pay a $100,000 joining fee or go through a very complicated approval committee.”
Recent gym renovations may be due to the simple idea that after years of the same look, people are ready to see something different.
“People want to escape from the norm,” says Glazman, co-founder of Maker Gymnasium. “I think there will definitely be more movement, especially in gyms, that creates a more interesting environment than just functionality.”
