Fitness champions of the world

Virgin Active launched in 1999 as part of Richard Branson’s Virgin Group. From small beginnings in the UK, the chain of health clubs now operates in South Africa, Namibia, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Australia, Singapore and Thailand.

While Virgin Active had firmly established themselves as the leading name in fitness clubs worldwide, they set to work striving to deliver a bespoke gym, targeting members who sought the best possible experience. The next step was to become the world’s most-loved club operator and bring innovation to health and fitness club users around the globe.

Understanding the potential of the Asian market, the brand turned its attention towards expanding and upgrading clubs in Thailand and Singapore. With £150 million in investment and an ambition to open up to ten new clubs in Singapore and twenty in Thailand, the venture needed to be both lucrative and cost-effective.

Virgin were looking for a partner who had the technical know-how to undertake the project with due diligence. That’s where we stepped in. After an initial successful collaboration effort in Thailand, the client was confident that JLL were the team to help them achieve further success on larger projects, through a combination of strategic input, acting as representatives for the client and handling technical considerations.

We assisted Virgin in managing the design and construction process of the four flagship clubs in Singapore – securing highly sought-after sites including the iconic One Raffles Place office tower (the tallest building in Singapore) and the newly completed Marina One mixed use development. To elevate the brand, our team went on to champion some of the most innovative and cutting-edge design from around the world.

Our team currently manages ten of the newly completed Virgin Active clubs, and the construction of further venues. Additionally, we hit strategic goals by reducing the risk and the cost, with a combined savings of $500k over two locations, thanks to Value Engineering.

By maintaining constant communication with the clients and sharing our in-depth local market knowledge, we were able to develop processes that delivered both economic efficiencies and desired results. We’re proud to have achieved a 5/5 for client satisfaction and look forward to maintaining this relationship into the future.

Going forward, we have big ambitions to continue working together to tackle plastic reduction and redirect organic waste from landfill. This program is just the tip of the iceberg in the worthy goal of striving toward making the planet a greener place.

Want more? Talk to the team