Cruising on the Seine on a workout-powered Gym Boat

Carlo Ratti Associati partners with Technogym, Terreform ONE and URBEM to present the Paris Navigating Gym: a fitness vessel that moves along the Seine River by harnessing energy from passengers’ workouts.

The project, which represents the ideal evolution of “River Gym”, a preliminary concept for New York City elaborated by Terreform ONE in 2008, is today a concrete proposal whose feasibility is ensured by the analysis of business plan made by UR Lab and Urbem, and user experience by Optraker.

International design and innovation office Carlo Ratti Associati, working with the leading fitness equipment manufacturer Technogym, the non-profit architecture group Terreform ONE and the urban regeneration institute URBEM, has unveiled the Paris Navigating Gym project, a human-powered Gym Boat that cruises along the Seine River by using energy sourced from passengers’ workouts. The project was developed in response to a public call organized in the French capital.

The Paris Navigating Gym is a 20-meter long fitness vessel that can host up to 45 people. The fitness area features Technogym’s ARTIS machines – a special typology of sports equipment that harnesses human energy and makes it available to further uses.

By doing exercise on the ARTIS bikes and cross trainers, guests can seamlessly contribute to powering the boat, which in turn will sail along the Seine on its route through the city, providing access to anybody who wants it.