January 5, 2024, 5:44 pm | Read time: 5 minutes
Rooftop gyms have class–but who can say they’ve trained in old beer cellar vaults? John Reed has opened a special fitness club in Berlin. FITBOOK tested it.
Is it art, or can I get on the bar? At the new John Reed Bötzow in Berlin, this is not an entirely unjustified question. This gym has as many art and design objects as fitness equipment. This creates a truly unique atmosphere, but also leads to lines at the incline bench and more. FITBOOK ventured into the Berlin underground and tested the hipster fitness club in a former beer cellar.
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Overview
The Location
The location in the historic Bötzow Brewery is–admittedly–impressive. From Saarbrücker Street, you descend deep into the old beer cellars. Red brick walls, seven-meter-high vaulted ceilings with heavy velvet curtains, an XXXL couch in the long hallway, lounge chairs and tables by the fireplace, DJ booth, club sounds. Did I pack the right outfit? Instead of a sports bra and shorts, evening wear seems more appropriate at first glance. The fusion of music, design, and fitness is deliberately staged by John Reed to elevate training to a new level.
The Bötzow area is a former brewery site (built from 1864 to 1884) in the heart of Prenzlauer Berg. The renowned Chipperfield Architects are tasked with transforming the entire area. Thus, the design of the 3,136 square meter fitness club also bears their signature. The John Reed Bötzow Club aims to offer more than just fitness. Regularly changing art exhibitions with openings are held here. A highlight is a 35-meter-long canvas designed by the artist duo Ron Miller–the longest in Berlin.
However, the proper climate control of the cellar vaults seems not so simple; a fresh breeze often whistles through the chic marble changing area, quickly driving you to the sauna or lounge area.
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Equipment and Classes
The fitness offerings at John Reed Bötzow include:
- Cardio training (treadmills, climbers, cross trainers, rowing machines …)
- Free weight area
- Equipment park
- Classes, including Reformer Pilates, treadmill classes, as well as functional and group workouts
- Spa area
- Live DJ performances and music workouts
Additionally, body check-ups, nutrition coaching, personal training, and the creation of a training plan can be booked.
Also interesting: McFit memberships are now available at Aldi! Is the offer worth it?
The Audience
A membership fee of 90 euros per month? Before my first visit, I had mixed feelings: what kind of (snobby) trainees will I encounter at John Reed Bötzow? The reality presented a surprisingly mixed picture. Fitness fans of all ages and with various ambitions gather here:
- Under-25s in bum-scrunch leggings making videos for their social media channels
- Business types making a few calls or working on their laptops in the lounge area
- Focused strength athletes working on appearance and performance
- The Reformer Pilates gang–mainly women and mostly a bit older (why is that?)
- Prenzlauer Berg hipsters who have “been waiting 15 years for a fitness studio with a pool to open”
- People who say they go to the gym but actually just spend an hour steaming in the sauna and whirlpool
- Lactate addicts who push themselves to the limit in a 25-minute HIIT running session (#guilty)
- Ordinary people who just want to do something for fitness and health
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Health clubs – expensive fun or sensible health care?
How Do the Different Types of Saunas Differ?
The Spa
Simply: Wow! When you swim toward a lighting-simulated sunset in the 20-meter pool in the evening, let your thoughts wander in the whirlpool while your muscles are massaged, or meditate in the sauna–then physical and mental relaxation is on the agenda! Besides training, the club offers pure relaxation. The relaxation lounges for lingering are located in the old cooling basins of the brewery.
Also interesting: Does the sauna help with a hangover or just make it worse?
Conclusion: Beer Cellar Location Both a Blessing and a Curse
The location in the former beer cellar and the focus on art and design are both a blessing and a curse. On one hand, there is a unique atmosphere that makes John Reed Bötzow a place where you like to linger. Descending the stairs, you enter a world where intense workouts, wellness, club sounds, and creativity merge. I didn’t think I would like it so much. After all, I’m actually a fan of “honest gyms,” where rust sticks to your hands when you pull weight plates off the barbell, and the smell of bodybuilders from the ’80s still lingers in the air.
On the other hand, in the long cellar corridors, there’s usually only room for one thing: art or training equipment. Therefore, for a gym of this size, there is relatively little training space when you subtract the three class rooms (Yoga, Pilates, Running). An absolute highlight is the spa area. For those who regularly want to swim and go to the sauna, the high-priced membership is worth it.
Highlights
- Unique atmosphere through art and design elements
- High-quality equipment and classes
- Drink flat rate for water with/without fruity flavors
- 20-meter pool and whirlpools, sauna
- Cleanliness
- Friendly and motivating staff
- Relaxed, mixed audience
Lowlights
- Especially during peak times between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m., there is very little space.
- In general, some equipment and devices are missing for ambitious strength athletes
- Hardly any walls that can be incorporated into the workout (e.g., for wall balls, handstands, because they are either occupied by art, curtains, or mirrors, or are made of crumbling brick)