City Zero (rendering)
Miami is about to welcome one of the most modern fitness facilities in the world.
“City Zero” is the brainchild of the well-known Colombian fitness guru Beto Perez, who became a developer.
Perez became a global force in the international fitness industry after founding Zumba Fitness in 1998, which has grown into a now ubiquitous multinational brand thanks to its popular mix of intense dance and fitness programs.
Perez brought the same energy to City Zero. City Zero at 591 SW Eighth St. extends well beyond a gym and is a sprawling four-story fitness center and open-air rooftop that offers an unprecedented range of spaces and equipment for a fitness lifestyle. The first floor has a retail store, juice bar and a full-floor stage with a digital screen wall and studio sound and lighting for interactive dance and fitness classes.
The second, third and fourth floors offer a range of state-of-the-art fitness equipment as well as personal training rooms. The partially exposed roof rounds off the experience and is designed for versatile outdoor activities such as yoga, cycling and special occasions. The entire complex also features an elegant use of glass to let in natural light – and sweeping views of the Downtown Miami skyline, even more breathtaking from the rooftop.
To realize his vision of bringing a world-class fitness center to Miami, Perez selected the well-known Coral Gables company Permuy Architecture. The architecture office has joined forces with top-class international and design-oriented projects such as the Aqua Azure property of the glass industrialist Sam Moussa, the US flagship of the Turkish design label ENNE in the Miami Design District and the legendary collaboration of the Aventura Mall Slide Tower with a German artist Carsten Höller .
Commenting on the design and importance of City Zero, President Ignacio Permuy said, “We have several decent gyms in South Florida and some very nice ones. But what Beto has done here is to introduce an entirely different class of fitness centers. It’s unprecedented and visionary – no one has this anywhere else in the US
“My team made sure that the design communicates its uniqueness and captures the invigorating power of dance and fitness, not only to improve well-being, but also to bring people together, which is especially important now and in the future.”
Permuy added, “It was important to us to make sure this project was appropriate for the surrounding community. We knew right away that City Zero would become a social hub and economic anchor for Eighth Street and the Little Havana community. Therefore, it looks to the future and at the same time absorbs the Latin American cultural liveliness of the region. It will also cement the Little Havana renaissance that we saw. “
This is not the first time the Permuy family has invaded Little Havana. In the 1980s, the company’s chief executive and Cuban community leader Jesús Permuy, a former urban planner, was appointed chairman of the City of Miami’s East Little Havana Task Force to investigate the then current Mariel crisis and make recommendations on how to address its socio-economic impact. The Permuy leadership used urban planning principles to allow greater stability in the region.
Despite the excitement surrounding the innovative new center, the team of architects recognize the severity of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on the design and rollout of City Zero. In line with the project’s focus on health and wellness, Ignacio Permuy stated that City Zero had heavily integrated a number of public health features for the pandemic.
He illustrated how the project strictly follows COVID safety guidelines, including generous floor plans at each level to allow social distancing throughout the facility. In addition, Permuy indicated that the personal training areas are designed with a segmented layout to ensure the privacy of the training and to reduce the formation of crowds.
The first floor has double-height ceilings that are fitted with air filtration for safer circulation, and the open-air roof offers more opportunities for socially distant outdoor activities limited to small groups. City Zero also offers fitness and dance classes that come with online streaming for remote participation.
Permuy owes this ambitious concept to the close cooperation between the various teams involved.
“Everyone did their job well. From the construction team, the interior designers, the engineers, Beto’s representative and, of course, Beto itself – everything was positive, seamless and aligned with the overall picture. “
“It was an excellent experience and it shows in the results,” concluded Permuy.
City Zero Miami is scheduled to launch in the first quarter of 2021.
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