Leave it to Sweden to take the gym — an intimidating arena of sweaty bodies lifting, pressing and grunting on complex machinery — and make it perfectly serene.
Kebne, created by Johan and Nina Kauppi and produced by Nola, consists of five bare-bones steel structures. The gym takes its name from Sweden’s tallest mountain Kebnekaise and, as the designers told Minimalissimo, evokes an abstract version of the entire massif when installed together.
The system is specifically designed for public areas, both in form (electro-galvanised and powder coated steel, Accoya high-performance wood) and function (exercises for all fitness levels). Essentially, you can get out of it as much or as little intensity as you want. In practice it looks like a Nordic version of Muscle Beach, with the design cultivating less machismo and more camaraderie.
Should passersby approach this gym and have no idea where to begin, the structures are affixed with diagrams showing some appropriate exercises and stretches. But put these next to the ocean or a forest and we might just be tempted to take a sit on top of one of the mini mountains and meditate.
No word at the moment about when it’ll be available stateside, so go ahead and add it to the list of reasons to move to Sweden.
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