Wellness Center Wall Features 24-Foot-Wide Door

Some fitness facilities blur the line between interior and exterior. This one breaks the line, folds it up and slides it to the side.

Eight collapsible door panels allow a 1,300-square-foot room within the Andover Company Wellness Center in Andover, Mass., to open up to a 700-square-foot outdoor patio space, not to mention a tree-lined lawn and the Merrimack River beyond. The dividable interior room is equipped to accommodate multiple functions, with amenities ranging from heavy bags that travel along an automated track for group boxing workouts and then disappear into a storage closet, to a closeted sink and counter space that facilitates food service during business meetings. With the door panels fully parted, the wall opening measures 24 feet wide, allowing for abundant fresh air to enter the interior space or for the space's functional footprint to incorporate the exterior patio. "The idea was to make it feel like you're outdoors even if you're still technically in the covered area," says project manager Jeff Gannon of Prellwitz Chilinski Associates, adding, "There is also the option to move yoga mats, stationary bikes and other types of mobile equipment onto the patio for classes or general use. It's really an impressive room, and adding the element of the folding door allows it to expand to the outside in nicer weather. It's really a wellness attribute in terms of the serenity it provides."

This article originally appeared in the June 2019 issue of Athletic Business with the title "Sliding door panels open wellness center's wall." Athletic Business is a free magazine for professionals in the athletic, fitness and recreation industry. Click here to subscribe.