Fitness equipment is placed in rows because it is space efficient, and because the symmetry of the view helps alleviate the sense of clutter.
(Photo by Andrew Cohen)
Unfortunately, other things add to the sense of clutter - the next row of equipment, right behind the first one, for starters, as well as tangles of power cords.
Prime, an upscale health club in a mall development outside Castel Maggiore, Italy, hasn't gotten rid of clutter entirely, but the club has given the fitness floor a more unified look with custom-made "end tables" that help achieve separation between pieces of fitness equipment. The wooden tables are tall enough to provide users with a convenient place to put down their water bottles and other small items (towels can be hung from a small hook on either side), and are illuminated from within, the spot color visible through polycarbonate resin thermoplastic panels on two faces. A small gap at the bottom allows cords to reach their power source underneath.
